I finished reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien last night about 3 a.m. I thought it would be good to read it in preparation for the movie that comes out in December of this year. It will be a two-parter so we have something to look forward to in 2013. The reason I was up so late was because the dogs needed to go outside to potty. I drowsed for a while hoping they would go back to sleep but they kept jumping off the bed and then Buddy started whining. That usually means "I have to go and I have to go NOW" so it meant down the stairs and out the door. It was just long enough to wake me up for a while. I had just a few more chapters to go so I finished. It is always a great read and I forget little parts here and there, so it is a good refresher. I am sure the movie will be wonderful

I've been helping a friend with her new business and last night received the title of Senior Editor and Technical Writer. Apparently, I am even going to get business cards! Well, I'm not working that hard to deserve those but it has been an interesting journey learning how to edit and draw and create on the computer. My job has been to do the pattern inserts (also known as the pattern instructions) complete with illustrations. Some of the drawing has been done the old fashioned way by hand, but most has been done by computer. I've learned a lot and it has been a lot of fun seeing the creativity put in to the business. Here is a link to their website: mylazydaisy.com

We've been sick at our house = lots of naps. I can't seem to get through the day without a nap, and oftentimes, they are too long during the peak of the day. But I'm so tired that it doesn't really matter because I can't do much else. I am trying to do some spring cleaning but it is a slow go as a result of the nappage. Oh, well.

Food Glorious Food

Our trip thus far has been about friends, fun, and food. I will have to wait until I get home to get pictures from B. We met Doug and Patrice Vermillion and their daughter Teresa in Hilo for a few days at Volcano National Park. We did three hikes to the Green Sand Beach, across a volcano crater, and at Akaka Falls. And we ate three, yes, three times at the Thai Thai in Volcano. Yummy yummy food. Then we moved over to Oahu where we hiked to Diamond Head, over and back to the Hale Koa hotel from our hotel, and to Ka'ena Point. We ate at Duke's, Ruth's Chris, the Udon Noodle House, a shrimp shack, shave ice at Matsumoto's, Cheesecake Factory, Bippa's at the Hale Koa, and Denny's (which was pretty yum for breakfast). We went to Duke's a second time with D, and are planning to go to Niko's with Ben and Krystal and their family tonight. We wanted to go to Uncle's but it closes at 3 on Monday. We also snorkeled in Hanauma Bay, and went to the Dole Pineapple Plantation, and walked the main drag of Waikiki numerous times. What an adventure! Today is our last day. Oh, and DSC men's b-ball have won 3 games thus far. They have one more game tonight.

Reading this trip included Hawaii by James Michener. It was originally published in 1959. The other book I am still reading is Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, published in 1891. I remember seeing the movie that was made in the 1980's and having taught The Mayor of Casterbridge, decided that it would be a good one to read. I am enjoying it. I keep seeing Nastassja Kinski in the title role. I think it won an Oscar for the cinematography. It was beautifully filmed.

I am looking forward to being home. Miss my girl and her family. Miss my dogs. Miss my regular routine. Vacations are delightful but there in no place like home.

New fav book

My newest favorite book is The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen. Tonight B and I will eat at my favorite Thai place: Thai Thai Restaurant in Volcano, Big Island, HI.

Guess the Word of the Day

The past few weeks have been lovely. Really lovely. The weather, the various road trips, the company, the food, the decorations, the presents. Everything has been a real treat. Except for the cement pole that I ran into at McDonalds while getting my $1 32 oz. Diet Coke. End cost: $4800. B says that amounts to a lifetime supply of DC for me.

We went to San Diego where D had a great game although the team lost. We went to Phoenix and enjoyed the warmth there. 2 team wins also helped. Some biking friends came for a visit and I was able to somewhat join them for one ride. L (who by the way is 5 1/2 months along) rode like a demon and left me in her wake. My only excuse was I was waiting for the dogs. Sure, waiting for the dogs. That's what I use next time too.

We played every day and enjoyed our Baby D. He's 18 months old now and talking like crazy. He calls me Grammy and I love it. It was fun to hang with L & R & B & D. We went shopping a few times, we went to dinner a few times, we gave the dogs their daily walk either up Webb Hill or down by the river or in the Gap at Green Valley, we went to see movies (two thumbs up for Puss N' Boots and one thumb up for Footloose), we played Boggle where I learned some new tricks, and we did yard work together. It was fun to be together. Together: word of the day!

As for books:

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht. I read it the first time and didn't quite get it so am doing a scholarly reading of it now and am really enjoying it.

Wendell Berry's books Hannah Coulter and The Memory of Old Jack and loved both of them. There were sections in each that made me cry, some just for how pretty the words came together and some because the words moved me.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It is a book you will never forget. So much to think about in this one. It is an incredible true story.

John Adams by David McCullough again. It never stops amazing me how much those men put themselves on the line and how much they were willing to do to see America come into its own.

I got 3 cook books for Christmas. Are they hinting or something? I am looking forward to reading each one: Our Best Bites by Sara Wells and Kate Jones, The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond, and Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Deanna Buxton.

Another Book Post

These are some well-known facts.

1. I am always looking for something good to read

2. I am always reading something.

3. Books can be read more than once.

4. Really great books come around once in while.

5. I wish I had more time to read.

6. Sometimes I fall asleep with the book in my hands and the light on.

7. There is a plethora of bad books out there.

8. Books can be enjoyed on the Kindle.

9. Libraries are a great place to go especially if you are exceeding your book budget.

10. I've always loved to read.

This week I read a book by Wallace Stegner, one of my favorite authors.

Angle of Repose is his Pulitzer Prize winning

and one of my all-time favorites.

However, the book I read was Crossing To Safety.

It is right up there on my favorites list

along with any of the Ivan Doig books.

I read The Eleventh Man, by Ivan Doig. Ex-cell-ent!

I went to our local library today and

checked out some promising books by authors that I like.

Tracy Chevalier

The Virgin Blue

Falling Angels

I've read Remarkable Creatures and really liked it.

Michael Crichton

Pirate Latitudes

This one was found as full text after his death.

Alexander McCall Smith

Corduroy Mansions

The Dog Who Came In From The Cold

Both had pictures of a Jack Russell on their cover.

They are not from the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.

I really liked La's Orchestra Saves the World

as well as the above mentioned series.

Babysitting

I am watching a friend's dogs while she is on vacation.

She has watched our dogs so many times

that we were happy to have

Iggy and Max over to our home!

Iggy is our dog's littermate (Buster).

I remember going to the hospital

to see the two little pups in their kennel.

One of B's associates at the hospital was the owner.

We had recently lost our Holly dog so we were looking.

My sister went with me and

we oohed and aahed over the two little guys,

finally deciding on the smaller one

who became our Buster.

Our friend, AJ, took the bigger one

who became Iggy,

which is short for Ignatius.

Our other dog is Buddy.

He is Buster and Iggy's older brother.

It is interesting to watch the three brothers together;

you can tell they are related.

Buddy is very tall in the legs,

Buster has an incredibly short tail,

and Iggy can sit on his hind quarters, so they are unique too.

Max is an older dog; I think he's about 10 years old.

Max is short for Maximus

He is all white with black eyes.

And he loves food,

especially human food!

Since we couldn't really have all four dogs in our bed

(I don't know how AJ does it)

we have them sleep in a big blanket nest

together in the laundry room.

They are pretty cute

and it has been fun to have a sleepover with the dogs.

Interesting

While I was at the cabin I read two books:

The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty

by Caroline Alexander

and

A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World

by Tony Horwitz

Both are books that I've read several times.

I knew some of the history of the Mutiny, but the big question still is:

Why did Fletcher Christian do it?

What was his motivation?

I've seen the 1962 Marlon Brando movie version

as well as

the 1984 Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson version entitled The Bounty.

(In light of recent events, it is a little difficult to admit

Mel Gibson is my favorite actor

and the movie The Year of Living Dangerously

is one of my all-time favorite movies,

but his personal life may be what makes him a great actor)

In The Bounty, his love for his Tahitian wife

seems to be the outward motivation

but there is something deeper going on.

The straight-laced dutiful English society

vs the laid-back devil may care Island-time society of Tahiti

are at odds.

There are two amazing endings to the story:

Bligh made it the 47 days and over 3600 hundred miles

from the middle of the Pacific to the Dutch East Indies in a 23-foot boat with his crew

and

there was a little surviving community on Pitcairn Island where

Christian and the other mutineers made their final destination

(albeit mostly women and children and only 1 man)

I guess that is the whole point:

it was almost too incredible to be true.

When I got home, I started reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

mainly because I had recently viewed

La Jaconda (otherwise known as the Mona Lisa)

at the Louvre.

And Madonna on The Rocks.