It’s That Time Again

Last night TiaDiva and I participated in our annual Tia’s birthday ritual – a trip to the Magical Nights of Lights.  We followed the line of traffic through the maze of parking lots and winding roadways and enjoyed all of the light displays, like the 12 Days of Christmas, Birds of Paradise, and the rows of Christmas trees.  We stopped in at Santa’s village for a tacky ornament shopping/hot cocoa drinking/marshmallow roasting opportunity.  We wandered through the ice skating rink and the carnival.  Tia won a Minion and molested a penguin.  I have pictures on my phone…which I’ll move to my computer this weekend…which means you might actually get to see them before the end of the year.

Unless you follow me on Twitter…cause the penguin one is on Twitter.      

Moving on.

Well, as I’m now 84 books into my ’50 Book Challenge’ for the year 2012 (one more to go to hit my last goal for the year and I’ll be starting that book at lunch today), and since we’re now almost out of 2012 it’s time to start thinking about…the 2013 Book Challenge!

Yes, I’m going to participate again…and yes, I’ll be setting yet another lofty goal…and no, I haven’t decided what it will be yet.

I began combing my bookshelves last night for ideas, and because, let’s be honest here, I still have PLENTY of stuff I haven’t read yet on my shelves.  I made a list…which is nine pages long (yes, you read that correctly).  I’m seriously swimming in books.  I have two book series that I’d like to get finished, one with eleven volumes still to be read, the other with seventeen.  I have a small mountain on non-fiction, and another small mountain of fiction.  Not to mentioned the mysteries, the YA titles, and the historical romances.

I always enjoy poking through my book collection, it helps me remember what I’ve already purchased, figure out what I want to read next, and gives me a chance to weed out anything that might have been re-shelved incorrectly after reading (I’m looking at you, Discovery of Witches).  It also helps remind me just how many books I’ve borrowed and not read yet (sorry about that Mom, KrisN, TiaDiva, HOPSF, LibraryDiva, and Aunt Jean…I’ll totally try to work on that). 

I think I might start the year off with mysteries.   I have quite a few ‘first in the series’ books, which should be both entertaining and help me decide if I want to continue with more titles from the same author (huge props here to LibraryDiva who helped break me of my horrible (and expensive) “buy a whole series without reading any of it first” habit).  I enjoy a good mystery.

But first I have to finish this year’s challenge.

So, on to the last book...

Did I mention that I know the author? 

- HistoryDiva

In Memoriam

 

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven

 

Matthew 19:14

Shameless Bragging

Not only is all my Christmas shopping done, my credit card balance is currently $0.00.

Suck it, December.

 

-HistoryDiva

 

OH!  And in other news, or in case you’ve been living under a rock, my ‘dreamy’ next door neighbors are expecting their first child.  Congratulations Wills and Kate! 

A Friendly "Heads-Up"

Dear December 2012,

I’m sorry to break it to you like this, but there are a lot of expectations riding on you.  

As I’m sure you know, December hasn’t been the most stellar month for myself or my family over the last several years. 

I feel that it’s pretty safe to say that we deserve a peaceful, joyous holiday season full of hope and health and happiness.

So I’m going to explain this to you in most straight forward, simple way possible.

Mess with us again, and I will break both of your legs.

And burn down your house.

 

Love and kisses,

HistoryDiva

Textually Active

For your entertainment, here is an actual text conversation between the HOPSF and myself from like 5 minutes ago.

HOPSF:  Pick a color: mandarin, turquoise, carrot, or lime.

ME:  I don’t know if I like the direction this is heading in…!

ME:  Lime

ME:  Maybe

ME:  And exactly what color is mandarin?

ME:  An orange??

ME:  I’m so confused!!!!

HOPSF: A yellow-orange (like the crayon)

HOPSF:  I’ll add them all to the cart while you think it over ;-)

ME:  Lime

ME: Lime seems safe

HOPSF:  K!

ME: And helps prevent scurvy…so, bonus.

HOPSF:  LOL

ME:  And yes, I’m still concerned.

HOPSF:  You’ll like the lime.  I was torn between that and turquoise.

ME:  GAH!! I’m awash in a sea of confused!!!

HOPSF: *evil grin*

Now, don’t you wish your life were as exciting as I pretend mine is???

Oh, and I’m willing to bet that this is all somehow yarn/knitting/Christmas scarf related, but don't tell the HOPSF...she thinks she's so sneaky.

Post Christmas Update: It was a lime green tea mug with a knit 'mug cozy.'

A Little "Who" Funny

And in other news...

I now have a twitter account.

Which means you can follow my tweets.

That sentence made me laugh out loud…in the middle of a VERY quiet office. 

Oops!

I’m @ The History Diva (remove the spaces)!

And yes…things are JUST as exciting over there as they are here.

Well...

 

My god, if life were any more exciting I just might explode.

Too soon?

50 Book Challange: An Update

So...about those 50 books I decided to read this year...

1. And Furthermore by Judi Dench
2. Ghosts of India by Mark Harris
3. The Doctor Trap by Simon Messingham
4. Girl Singer: An Autobiography by Rosemary Clooney & Joan Barthel
5. Shining Darkness by Mark Michalowski
6. I Am A Dalek by Gareth Roberts
7. Made of Steel by Terrance Dicks
8. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
9. Revenge of the Judoon by Terrance Dicks
10. Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
11. The Eyeless by Lance Parkin
12. 1st to Die by James Patterson
13. Judgement of the Judoon by Colin Brake
14. A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball
15. The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil
16. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
17. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
18. The Professors' Wives' Club by Joanne Rendell
19. A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White
20. The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
21. Fool by Christopher Moore
22. Around the World in 80 Days by Michael Palin
23. Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
24. I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away by Bill Bryson
25. The English American by Alison Larkin
26. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
27. The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison
28. The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
29. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
30. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
31. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
32. If You Ask Me by Betty White
33. The Slitheen Excursion by Simon Guerrier
34. The Sontaran Games by Jacqueline Rayner
35. Ghost of a Threat by Beth Dolgner
36. Ghost of a Whisper by Beth Dolgner
37. Ghost of a Memory by Beth Dolgner
38. Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale
39. Code of the Krillitanes by Justin Richards
40. Apollo 23 by Justin Richards
41. Ghost of a Hope by Beth Dolgner - Test Reader Copy
42. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
43. Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
44. Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
45. Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie
46. Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
47. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
48. Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
49. The Labours Of Hercules by Agatha Christie
50. Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
51. A Texas Christmas by Jodi Thomas
52. The Big Four by Agatha Christie
53. Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie
54. The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie
55. Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie
56. Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie
57. The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy by Mark Logue
58. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
59. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
60. The Enchantress by Michael Scott
61. Roswell: History, Haunts and Legends by Dianna Avena
62. Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel by Samantha Grace
63. If He's Wicked by Hannah Howell
64. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
65. If He's Sinful by Hannah Howell
66. Death And The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I and the Dark Scandal That Rocked the Throne by Chris Skidmore
67. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
68. Night of the Humans by David Llewellyn
69. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
70. The Angel's Kiss: A Melody Malone Mystery by Justin Richards
71. If He's Wild by Hannah Howell
72. If He's Dangerous by Hannah Howell
73. Lady Amelia's Mess and a Half by Samantha Grace
74. The Blooding by Joseph Wambaugh
75. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

I've decided to go for 80 instead...

Happy Halloween 2012

I refuse to dress up.

And I'm not giving out candy.

Boo - Humbug!

Fantastic!

This is a little slice of awesome.

Enjoy!

Highland Games 2012

A Waiting Williams

For all my fellow Doctor Who fans..if you haven't seen this yet make sure you have your Kleenex handy before you click play.

So...

It’s my birthday.

 

Told You So

In regards to my post from earlier today, and at the suggestion of DivaMom, I took a look online for any possible side effects associated with the medications I was prescribed for my post-surgery recovery period. And I found this...

Psychiatric side effects have included hallucinations, hyperactivity, disorientation as to time and place, and failure to recognize people.

Well...that would explain it.

Welcome to Side-Effect City

…population: Me.

 

After pumping steroids, antibiotics and whatever they put in hospital anesthesia into my body for the better part of the year, I’ve experienced a wide range of…let’s go with “entertaining”…side effects varying from the mundane to the surreal.  I’ve already mentioned my “mental fog” so I won’t bring it up again in this post…well, okay I totally will but I promise it will be like the last thing I talk about.

 

First up: Crazy Dreams – And I mean some serious cray-cray. These I caulk up to the anesthesia, because they are ALWAYS weirder in the first couple days after surgery.  I remember one about a puppy mill, no not that kind…I mean the kind ‘powered’ by puppies.  Like…strapped into tiny little harnesses and forced to run in a circle all day because ‘hey, what better way to use all that energy?’ Or ooh!  What about the one where I was a high school teacher who had taken her class to the park and we were attached by an overall wearing, box cutter wielding midget named Bellini who chased me through the park yelling that he was ‘gonna cut him up a chicka”?  How’s that for crazy? 

 

Next: Unreasonable Rage – For no reason at all, just out of the blue furious.  I would walk into the kitchen and see a dirty glass sitting beside the sink and it would break my world.  (Never mind that this is exactly where I have asked my roommate to put her dishes when she is done with them, and never mind that she is super dutiful about it.)  I would become an instantaneous bundle of unbelievable rage!  Like, screaming-cussing-stomping mad!  Over NOTHING!  Thank you steroids, it’s been so awesome!  *SARCASM*

 

And Then: Memory Loss – Now, I’ve touched on this one before but it bears repeating.  I couldn’t remember from one minute to the next where I was going, what I was doing, or why exactly I was doing it in the first place.  This isn’t such a big deal when you are shuffling around your parent’s house staring at the floor 24/7 for two weeks while you recover…but it can become a significant danger once you are cleared to get back behind the wheel of your car.  Yeah.  Let’s just say I’ve had a few ‘rough’ moments.

 

Small Things: Occasional balance problems, headaches, eye pain, strange ripple-like ribbons of light across my vision, a patch of grey ‘dots’ across my field of vision…blah, blah, blah…most of this is easy to handle (Hello, Tylenol!) and has improved/disappeared as I’ve gotten further along in the recovery process.

 

Lastly: Mental Fog -  (told you, last thing!)  I bring this up again because of what happened yesterday afternoon.  I was fine, absolutely fine…until about 5:10 PM.  I had gotten into my car after work with the plan to run a quick errand or two, grab some dinner, and head home.  I was heading to the pet store when my train of thought went completely off the rails.  I knew I was going somewhere but I couldn’t quite recall where.  And let me reiterate this one point: I WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME.  Yep, completely gone but behind the wheel.   Suddenly I had a million conflicting thoughts in my head.

 

“I need to get cat food.”

“When can I get it?”
“ I should do that now.”
“Nope, do it tomorrow.”
“No, because then I’ll be at the other one and I got hurt there.”
“My ankle hurts.”
“I need to get cat food.”
“Oh yeah, I should go get that.”
“Yeah…but when should I go?”   

I recognized the pet store from a distance and thought “Oh yeah, I need to go there.”  I pulled into the parking lot and just sat in the car for a few minutes, trying to get it together.  I could actually feel things getting more and more disconnected in my head.  And I’ll be honest…it was a little scary.  I wandered into the pet store and thank goodness the kind of cat food I needed was on a big obvious display.  But I’ll admit that I just stared at the bags for a minute or two trying to remember which one was the right one (FYI, it’s blue and says ‘Indoor Cat’…not that hard.)   I paid and walked back to the car…getting more and more unfocused the whole time.

“I need dinner.”
“I need band aids.”
“I need to go home.”
“I should go see mom and dad…NO, I was just there.”
“Should I go to this other store?”
“I need dinner.”
“No, I don’t have money for that right now.”

I got into my car and headed home…but stopped at a drug store instead.  I had the thought that I needed band aids.  Now, had I gone to my regular drug store I don’t think it would have been quite so confusing.  After all, at my regular store I know the lay out.   I stopped in the middle of the store and read the conveniently located signs to find the correct aisle…and missed it by one to the right.  So I tried again…and somehow missed it by one to the left.  So I tried again.  I finally managed to land on the correct aisle and got what I needed.  I paid and walked back to the car…and could feel it getting worse.

 

“I should go home.”

“I should go….”
“I should…”
“I…”

By the time I got home was I completely mentally disconnected.  I couldn’t even form a full sentence inside my own head.  I knew where I was, I recognized it, but I really couldn’t think much beyond one step at a time.  I know I encountered my roommate in the garage.  She asked me a question…I didn’t understand her and just sort of stared at her, blinking like an owl.  She rolled her eyes and left.  I wandered into the house and put away the cat food and the band aids.  The cat walked into the kitchen and stared at me.  I petted him. 

“kitty”

“need dinner”

I filled the cat’s bowl.  He purred and started eating.

“dinner”

I remembered that I still needed dinner, and here comes the seriously scary part of this story: I GOT BACK IN MY CAR AND DROVE TO GET DINNER.  Yep…went to Dairy Queen.  Because at that point the only clear thought in my head was “ice cream.”  I do not remember the drive there or the drive back. 

Once I got home I made myself sit down at the kitchen table and just focused on eating dinner.  By the time I got done the fog was lifting and I was much more aware and connected.  By the time primetime entertainment came on TV I was back to normal (well…as normal as I ever get).

What’s a bit frustrating about this is that I know that the HOPSF or LibraryDiva would have taken one look at me and refused to let me back out of the house…and TiaDiva…bless her heart, just isn’t that attentive.  But no one was hurt and no property damage occurred so I would say I was extremely lucky on all counts. 

Do I have any idea what exactly happened or why?  No.  But I’m 100% certain that it was a side-effect from all of the medication.  I guess the only "up side" is that at the time it was happening I was aware that something was going wrong, which means that should it happen again (*fingers crossed that it won’t*) I will NOT go anywhere near my car. 

 

- HistoryDiva

The Problem with Planners

Life, as well demonstrated on this very blog, does not always go as planned. 

Late in 2011 I was introduced to an awesome company that produces personalized day planners, calendars, and a whole lot of other cute and colorful things to spend money on.  Now, being a sucker for cute and colorful things to spend money on (have you SEEN my purse collection??), I was too intrigued to stay away.  So I went…and I shopped. 

And I’ll be honest…I was 100% thrilled and in love with the final product. 

You see, I had some grand plans for 2012.  I was totally going to get my shit together and be super on top of things in my own life.  Time to take charge!  Embrace the power of now!!!

But there was a problem.

And that problem was that I completely forgot what happens EVERY SINGLE TIME I try to get it all together.

The Gods look down on me, one tiny human in the vast sea of infinity, and laugh. 

I got to use my lovely, personalized, ridiculously expensive planner for less than one month.

*Sigh*

The most irritating ‘down side’ to the this whole year has been how completely scattered I’ve become as a result of my medical issue and the associated medications.  I lost control of my life and my brain in January.  Seriously spinning in circles!  I couldn’t plan, couldn’t organize, couldn’t tidy, couldn’t think! 

Normal scatter-brained is one thing – like “hey, didn’t we need milk?” – but this has been something entirely different…more like “hey, where’d the house go?”  We are talking seriously lost. 

As the medication wears out of my system (sadly, still looking at this in terms of MONTHS to go…), I feel myself becoming mentally clearer each day.  I’m better able to remember things, I don’t have to make multiple copies of the same note or list.  I no longer pull wads of Post-Its out of my pockets at the end of the day.  I know from one minute to the next where I’m going and what I need to get done. 

These are things that are so small, but believe me when I tell you that they make a HUGE impact on your life when you can’t deal with them.

While my mental fog clears I am taking steps to help myself.  I went to the office supply store and purchased a student planner on the cheap.  I bought colored pens.  I went home, sat down at the kitchen table and dutifully entered appointments, meetings, Stitch Nights, and family events.  I demanded that my roommate provide me with her appointment info as well, because if I know where she is then by extension I should know where I am (yes, that’s circular logic but it makes sense to me so SHUT IT!!).  I know which day of the month to reapply the cat’s flea treatment (18^th) because it’s right there, in black and white. 

And it helps.  It really does.  It’s a paper and ink security blanket.

So my focus has changed.  Because it turns out that I don’t need to be 100% on top of things.

I just need to know where the hell I am.

- HistoryDiva

Random Un-Reality Awesomeness

Good morning!  

 

How’s Friday treating everyone?  

 

Me?  I’m in an excellent mood today.  

 

And here’s why…  

 

Now, normally I don’t write down my dreams…because they are usually just too strange to bother remembering (trust me).  But last night’s dream was quite the exception and I just have to share….so here you go.  

 

I was vacationing in a small Welsh village, staying in a lovely little cottage.

 

 

Everyone was very friendly and welcoming.  My next door neighbors were a very nice young couple, and you will never guess who they turned out to be…Wills and Kate!

 

Yep, I was totally the next door neighbor of royalty!  And they were every bit as lovely and friendly as I imagine them to be.  (Well obviously, since this was a dream…) 

Now, just to make this dream even more entertaining, who should come for visit but Prince Charles himself?? 

Cause if you’re gonna dream about royalty you might as well have BOTH future Kings of England put in an appearance.  

 

I managed to score an introduction and we had a really wonderful chat about organic farming (which is one of Charles’ favorite topics, btw…thanks for the info PBS!).  Well it turns out that the Prince was in the area on an official visit to the local military base where he and William would be flying one of their new gigantic planes.  So after asking several amazingly intelligent questions about aviation (weirdly, I somehow knew that everything I asked was actually relevant and correct and in reality I know exactly SQUAT about planes) he invited me to tag along the next day and go with them on the demonstration flight!  And OF COURSE I said yes!  So there I was, in my little RAF flight suit, sitting in the cockpit of a gigantic military plane being piloted by the two future Kings of England.  

 

Needless to say, I woke up in a FANTASTIC mood!  

 

You just gotta love how my brain works sometimes.

 

- HistoryDiva

Brain Droppings

…some random thoughts about random things for a random Tuesday.  

 

You know what’s weird?  Cats.  

 

You know what’s not fun AT ALL?  When your indoor cat gets fleas.  For no apparent reason.  

 

Books:  Lately I just can’t seem to settle into a book, no matter the topic.  It’s very normal for me to have several books ‘going’ at the same time and while I flit from title to title (a bit like a hummingbird) I tend to settle on one for a day or so at a time and finish them off pretty quickly.  But lately, no dice.  I find this annoying.  

 

Music:  Dear Adele, please stop getting stuck in my head.  Seriously, you’re on infinite loop inside my brain at the moment. 

 

Brain “…when will I see you again?...You left with no goodbye, not a single word was said…”

Me: GAH!!!  Trying to WORK out here!!!

TV:  Currently going through another one of my “I’m so tired of this show” phases (sorry, SYTYCD, you’ve been voted off the island).  The only thing I’m really making time to watch is Doctor Who (Season 7!)…seriously, nothing else holds my attention these days.  Copper, a new period crime drama on BBC America, is absolutely fabulous…but I’ll admit that I’ve been catching it in reruns rather than staying focused on Sunday nights.  I’ve run through all of The Big Bang Theory (excellent show, btw) on DVD, and OH!  I just got Season 1 of Once Upon A Time (also excellent TV). 

Bananas are good.

I haven’t figured out what I want to have for lunch today.

We get a lot of phone calls from wrong numbers. 

That’s really it for now…

- HistoryDiva

*Tarzan Yell*

Hello blog!  I’ve missed you.  Sorry about the cobwebs and the dust.  How about a little Spring cleaning…even though it’s like almost Fall. 

 

So here, have a bit of a redesign.  Nothing makes a girl feel better than a new outfit, am I right?? 

 

(Oh and note to self, correct/update links to blogs in sidebar...you people just keep moving on without me!!) 

 

And just for fun, here’s a picture of one of the random plastic ducks which have mysteriously appeared in the front yard.

Okay, moving on.  

Hello readers…if there are still any of you guys around at this point.  

Real life seems to have gotten the best of me this year.  But hey, at least I’m mostly on the other side of things at this point.  

I don’t honestly know how much more we can squeeze into one year, but hey *knock on wood* let’s not push our luck by counting out anything.  

Big events to catch you up on:  

Eye Surgery:  Oh, the horror!! The squishy, icky, more than you’ve ever wanted to know about your own eyeballs horror!!  Well…okay, it has been a trial but we’ve handled it.  Now officially three surgeries down and zero to go.  Everything was looking really good at the most recent checkup and the doctor is very pleased with my progress.  My field of vision is markedly improved and I can actually read out of my left eye, which is flat out amazing.  My mother keeps threatening to parade me in front of her church congregation as proof that God does in fact still gift us with miracles.   

Random Side Adventure to Eye Surgery Number 3:  I managed to seriously turn my ankle while walking through a parking lot two days prior to surgery.  It was bad.  Like, screaming, crying, thought-I-was-gonna-vomit-from-the-pain bad.  Worst part of it was that I had to crawl into my car and drive 20 miles to get home.  Thank goodness for my overly prepared roommate who, along with my mother, met me as I pulled into the driveway with an ice pack, an ACE bandage, and the big bottle of Tylenol.  The long and the short of it is that I came down hard enough to bruise the bones in my ankle.  It’s a slow recovery and my ankle is still stiff and swollen at the end of every day.  The up side is that it totally took my mind off the surgery!  

Knee Replacement Surgery: Yes, you read that correctly, and no, it wasn’t me.  My aunt had her left knee replaced on June 18^th.  (At the ‘other’ branch of Northside Hospital…we’re keeping them in business this year.)  It’s been a long time coming and though she was toying with the idea of waiting until she retired, she decided to go ahead and have it done.  And thank goodness!  She’s slowly recovering and finds the entire process to be tedious in the extreme…however, she’s moving better than she has in years.  True, one kind of pain has just been replaced with another but all parties concerned know that it was the right thing to do.  

Heart Surgery: Again, yes, you read that correctly, and no, it’s also not me.  We rolled past the one year anniversary of my uncle’s heart surgery in August.  All three stints are in place and doing their job.  He’s fit, happy, and feeling better than he had been for quite some time.  He’s been in full on ‘handy-uncle’ mode around the house for the last year, turning up to take care of this and that whenever he’s needed.  He even climbed under my bathroom sink to make a minor repair one Sunday in his church clothes!  

Random events to ramble about:  

Medication:  I’m into my third full week of being ‘steroid free.’  After 7 months of constant use I’m finally free of that particular medication (taken for my eyes) and it is wonderful!  I feel more and more like myself every day and haven’t gotten ‘ridiculously angry for no reason’ for about a week now, which is just heaven!  As they wear out of my system, which will still take MONTHS *sigh*, I’m beginning to get the little things back…like my generally happy disposition and my ability to remember things without having to leave a trail of Post-Its.  

The 50 Book Challenge:  Well, 50 books was apparently not enough of a challenge.  So I moved my target up to 75 books…and I’ve gotten through 68 titles so far.  I’ve added a widget on the sidebar which will keep you more up to date.  The odds are good that I’ll be increasing my target again before the end of the year.  Not too shabby for a girl with two bad eyes.  

My cat: Is still fat.  And lazy.

- HistoryDiva

It Was A Tuesday

Dear Christine,

We remember.

For LibraryDiva

Who NEVER replies to text messages.

Good thing I love her anyway!

Random Thoughts

As I bumble along through life I gather unexpected lessons on the way.  I find that most days I'm learning something new, either about myself, my eyeballs, or the world around me. 

So far this year I've had extensive lessons in patience. 

I've done a lot of sitting quietly and waiting.  In doctor's offices, specialist's offices, waiting rooms, dilating rooms, recovery rooms, and my parent's living room.  Most of this while having my vision obstructed in either one or both eyes.  There isn't a lot you can do while waiting for your eyes to recover after surgery. 

Bright lights hurt.

TV watching is out.

Reading is out.

Cross stitch is out.

Using the computer is out.

So you sit.

And you wait.

Thoughts on Yet Another Eye Surgery

...well...that actually didn't suck too badly.

"Dr. V hits me because she loves me."

50 Book Challenge: An Update

1.   And Furthermore by Judi Dench
2.   Ghosts of India by Mark Harris
3.   The Doctor Trap by Simon Messingham
4.   Girl Singer: An Autobiography by Rosemary Clooney & Joan Barthel
5.   Shining Darkness by Mark Michalowski
6.   I Am A Dalek by Gareth Roberts
7.   Made of Steel by Terrance Dicks
8.   One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, #1) by Janet Evanovich*
9.   Revenge of the Judoon by Terrance Dicks
10.  Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
11.  The Eyeless by Lance Parkin
12.  1st to Die (Women's Murder Club, #1) by James Patterson*
13.  Judgement of the Judoon by Colin Brake
14.  A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball
15.  The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil
16.  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
17.  Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman*
18.  The Professors' Wives' Club by Joanne Rendell*
19.  A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White
20.  The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
21.  Fool by Christopher Moore
22.  Around the World in 80 Days by Michael Palin
23.  Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
24.  I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away by Bill Bryson
25.  The English American by Alison Larkin
26.  The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
27.  The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison
28.  The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
29.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
30.  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
31.  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
32.  If You Ask Me by Betty White
33.  The Slitheen Excursion by Simon Guerrier
34.  The Sontaran Games by Jacqueline Rayner
35.  Ghost of a Threat by Beth Dolgner
36.  Ghost of a Whisper by Beth Dolgner
37.  Ghost of a Memory by Beth Dolgner
38.  Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale
39.  Code of the Krillitanes by Justin Richards
40.  Apollo 23 by Justin Richards
41.  Ghost of a Hope by Beth Dolgner - Test Reader Copy
42.  The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
43.  Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
44.  Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
45.  Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie
46.  Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
47.  The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
48.  Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
49.  The Labours Of Hercules by Agatha Christie
50.  Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
51.  A Texas Christmas by Jodi Thomas
52.  The Big Four by Agatha Christie 

To easy apparently...so, I've decided to go for 75 books instead.

The 50 Book Challenge: An Update

1.   And Furthermore by Judi Dench
2.   Ghosts of India by Mark Harris
3.   The Doctor Trap by Simon Messingham
4.   Girl Singer: An Autobiography by Rosemary Clooney & Joan Barthel
5.   Shining Darkness by Mark Michalowski
6.   I Am A Dalek by Gareth Roberts
7.   Made of Steel by Terrance Dicks
8.   One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, #1) by Janet Evanovich*
9.   Revenge of the Judoon by Terrance Dicks
10.  Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell
11.  The Eyeless by Lance Parkin
12.  1st to Die (Women's Murder Club, #1) by James Patterson*
13.  Judgement of the Judoon by Colin Brake
14.  A Year on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball
15.  The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil
16.  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
17.  Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman*
18.  The Professors' Wives' Club by Joanne Rendell*
19.  A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White
20.  The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
21.  Fool by Christopher Moore
22.  Around the World in 80 Days by Michael Palin
23.  Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
24.  I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away by Bill Bryson
25.  The English American by Alison Larkin
26.  The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
27.  The Very Thought of You by Rosie Alison
28.  The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
29.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
30.  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
31.  Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
32.  If You Ask Me by Betty White
33.  The Slitheen Excursion by Simon Guerrier
34.  The Sontaran Games by Jacqueline Rayner
35.  Ghost of a Threat by Beth Dolgner
36.  Ghost of a Whisper by Beth Dolgner
37.  Ghost of a Memory by Beth Dolgner
38.  Prisoner of the Daleks by Trevor Baxendale
39.  Code of the Krillitanes by Justin Richards
40.  Apollo 23 by Justin Richards
41.  Ghost of a Hope by Beth Dolgner - Test Reader Copy
42.  The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
43.  Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
44.  Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
45.  Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie
46.  Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
47.  The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie