Where has the time gone?

OK, it has been so many months since I posted that this may as well be a new blog. Since my last post, I've gotten a new job, started reviewing books for Library Journal, taken a cruise and a vacation to visit my brother in Virginia. Still have 4 cats, but the household has been reduced to just one dog--Milo, our 14-year old doxie/retriever mix, has moved on.

So, how about some books? I've been catching up on my volumes of Persuasions, the yearly publication of the Jane Austen Society of North America. I think I'm up to 2002. Very good essays in all the volumes I've read, it's just a matter of having time to sit down and read them!

The fist book I reviewed for LJ, Nox Dormienda, was very good. A msytery set in Roman Britain, a bit dark and gritty, with a good sense of place and some interesting characters. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. Author's name is Kelli Stanley. I've also read sections of several non-fiction books running the gamut of food to 19th century Irish liturature to Egyptian archaeology.

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon

I recently started this series; can't think how I missed it when it first came out. I found it by reding three recent novels she wrote about Lord John Grey, who apears as a character in some of the series. Time travel, history and romance are a perfect combination in my mind--I myself would sometimes like to step through a portal to an earlier time. Except for the lack of indoor plumbing. And central heating. And chocolate...OK, so maybe it's a good thing ot only happens in books!

Anyway, I enjoy the accuracy of her historical details. I find the characters compelling, and the story moves along at a good pace. I actually started the second book while I was reading the first, so I'll be moving on to the rest of the series soon.

Also on my "next up" list: "Reserved for the cat" by Mercedes Lackey and "The house of Lanyon" by Valerie Anand.

How to watch a movie, with cats

Watched Pirates of the Caribbean, World's End with my daughter tonight. We were both kind of disappointed, except for the bloopers. What made it memorable was watching it with the assistance of Charlie the lap cat. He was sleeping on the bed when we came in to start the movie, and didn't move as we set the movie up, moved ourtselves onto the bed, arranged water, etc. After a short while, tho, he decided to take advantage of the availability of my lap, and gradually worked his way up my legs, purring up a storm. Of course, once I started to pe him, I was not allowed to stop. Soon it became a three-way fight between Charlie, my hands, and the remote. The cat won, of course. Then, just as I had given up on the idea of replyaing any scenes or skipping any of the bonus features, he moved on up to my chest, so that every time I breathed in, I was getting hair up my nose! (Yes, he does have very long hair!) Then one of the dogs decided to join us , landing her entire 60 pounds of dog breath and one very soggy chew toy right on top of the cat--on my chest. Cat fled, dog decided to chase cat, we settled down again to watch the movie, and after a few minutes, Charlie was back, pushing his head into my hand & finally putting a tooth very gently to my finger to remind me that my primary purpose for being there was to pet the cat, not watch the movie.

Studies say that petting a cat can lower your blood pressure. I have yet to see that deomstrated around Here!

What gives?

As I was driving home through the slush this evening, thinkng how lucky my 4 cats are, it occurred to me that I have yet to post anything about the 2 items in my title: cats or books!


Allow me to remedy that: currently, the clowder is set at 4:
Charlie, the grand old man at 12, who has recently been through 2 surgeries for bladder problems. He has lovely long black fur, except where it was shaved for the surgery.

PacoBell, 9 years old, also black, but with short, sleek fur. He is not named for the composer, rather for the Taco Bell chihuahua.

Orangie, also about nine. He came to us as a stray who had obviously been an indoor pet, and he is a love bug of the highest order. My daughter named him, so you can coorectly assume that he is not black.

Midnite, the baby at just over a year. Also long, black fur. Definitely in the juvenile delinquent stage of cathood.

They cuddle, they wrestle, they generally keep us amused.

Next up: cat escapades and the latest on my reading list. It's been a long day.

Super bowl--not a super bust

I usually spend the duration of "Super Sunday" crocheting and politely nodding my head as all around me comment on the game, jump up and down and gerally have a roaring good time. Not that I have anything against football, but unless the Packers are playing, I just can't get that interested. This game kept me watching tho! I didn't really care who won, but I was with some people who did care, and they were not disappointed at the outcome. All in all, worth staying up past my bedtime & missing Masterpiece Theatre.

The only disappointment for me was Tom Petty. He didn't sing all of Freefallin', and just was not out there long enough.

School Daze

Went to open house at my daughter's school tonight. I sometimes forget how much I miss school...not the school work, but the smells and the sounds and the pencils all lined up, perfectly sharpened. I think I miss sharp pencils most of all, because I can't seem to keep one around either at work or at home. I think there are little gremlins (at least in my world) who take all the sharpened pencils with nice erasers and replace them with broken, eraserless pencils. Of course, I could just forgo writing anything on paper now and confine myslef to the cyber universe.

Welcome to the 21st century!

I haven't been in too much of a hurry to get a computer at home; the little I've done in the past has been easily accomplished at work or through public access computers. Now, within the space of a few short months, I've not only added a computer to the household but have actually created a blog! Not that I have a desire to publish my thought to the world--mostly to give my brother, recently posted to Iraq, a blow-by-blow of the next year here on the home front.

Why world of cats and books? Well, I have four cats and I work in a library. Great combo, as the cats like to curl up on my lap when I read. Which I think I will do now!