Fool's Puzzle by Earlene Fowler


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Rats! Just when I was telling myself I needed to focus on finishing book series that I've already started, I came across "Fool's Puzzle" by Earlene Fowler. Having a deep interest in quilts, especially the traditional patterns, the cover caught my eye. And being a mystery lover - well, how could I resist?

Earlene Fowler has written a mystery that represents to me the best of the cozy genre: intriguing amateur sleuth, small-town atmosphere, and fascinating relationships in a unique setting (in this case, an artists' co-op). Benni Harper is a believable character. Less than perfect, she gets exasperated with some of her relatives and friends, and is none too kind when she feels backed into a corner by the chief of police. On the other hand, she has a generous heart and a relatively honest outlook on life. She has a lot to deal with, including the aftermath of her husband's death - the direct result of his drinking irresponsibly. Benni seems to have tried to blame everyone for her husband's death except the deceased. But she appears to be slowly coming to the realization that in truth, nobody could have done anything to keep her husband from his own self-destruction. Benni feels like a real person who has gone through some troubled waters and is seeing that it is time for her life to move on.

Cozy mysteries do tend to be somewhat predictable. Typically, someone is murdered, an amateur sleuth gets involved to the dismay of the local police, finds herself in danger, but ultimately solves the case with lectures from the police along the way about staying out of it. The criminal is never who the police seem to suspect. So why do I keep reading? Ultimately, I guess it all boils down as to whether the author's main character evokes (1) an emotion, (2) a feeling of connection, or (3) something indefinably intriguing that keeps me wanting to read more. In the case of Benni Harper, it's three for three.

This really is a very good series-starter or a stand alone. It does have a satisfying ending, although with obvious room for a sequel. As for the second book in the series - yes, I plan to read it.

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The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I first read "The Secret Garden" sometime between 1969 and 1977. I remember reading it in my own bedroom with brightly colored walls and floral drapes - a room that became "mine" during my school years. My imagination was captured and I loved the story but somehow over the years I forgot about it. While reading it, I felt transported to another place and time - a magical place even more vibrant than my own special room.

Recently, I came across it at the library during a visit with my son and I thought, "Oh, I just have to read that again!" So, I did.

It is an interesting thing to have seen a story first through the eyes of a child and then again decades later as an adult. The course of the book was in many ways predictable (if one assumed a happy ending), and yet along the way there were some surprises for me.

I love this story of how maturing from selfishness to self-esteem and caring about others was helped by the quest for something that could only be found in a special, secret place. Once found, that "something" fairly screamed to be shared. And in sharing it, even more beauty was found.A great book, and a true classic!

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Perloo The Bold by Avi


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Entertaining and engaging, as Avi's books always are. I had a bit of a hard time getting into the characters, being as they were basically bunnies and wolves. But once I got past that I enjoyed it. However, this is the first book by Avi I've read where I found the ending highly disappointing!

Spoiler Alert:



I'm all for liberty, but this book ends by saying that the characters are better off without any leaders at all. OK, maybe that works in the bunny world, but humans need GOOD leaders!

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Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I happened to see a copy of Pippi Longstocking at my local library on a recent visit with my son. Remembering how I read every Pippi book I could find when I was a child, I just had to pick it up. It is no surprise that Pippi has been around for over 60 years now . . .It is interesting that as an adult, I saw a certain sadness in Pippi's solitary lifestyle. I had missed that as a child, seeing only the adventurer and the amazingly strong and smart (although uneducated) girl who I wanted as my own friend!

Pippi is totally irrepressible! She is the child who lives on her own, the way she wants to, without any adults being able to interfere and ruin things for her. She must certainly appeal to the restless, adventuresome, rebellious streak that every child has. And on top of all that, she is kind to her friends and VERY funny. I read the section in the book out-loud to my son where Pippi goes to school for the first time. She doesn't really understand about how school is supposed to work, and gives the teacher quite a hard time (in a nice, Pippi sort of way). My son laughed and laughed until he cried. For all of this, I give the book 5 stars.

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Batter Off Dead by Tamar Myers


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Yes, people really do think Magdalena Yoder is nuts - and I was beginning to wonder about that myself. But a character has an insight that Magdalena uses this as a cover to throw people off. I find it fascinating, after reading the 17 books in this series in less than a year's time, to see how the character has morphed over time. I don't know if all of the changes have been intentional on the author's part - or whether Magdalena has led Tamar Myers along the road. I've learned that many authors start writing about a character or event without really knowing where it's going to end up. That's a hard concept for me to grasp - but I wonder if indeed that has been the case with this series.

This particular book was an enjoyable read. Magdalena's thoughts on different denominations of Christianity tend to strike me as funny - as do some of her relationships. As Magdalena has grown more diverse, she uses certain phrases she has learned and it never fails that someone thinks she is speaking a language other than the one she is actually quoting. Cute! In general, some of the humor in the earlier novels offended me and made me dislike Magdalena . . . but yet I kept reading. In the later books in the series, I often found myself laughing out loud and I lost my dislike for the main character.

Overall, the series has lots of humor, not too much romance (yea!) and many interesting characters and relationships. Oh - and it IS a cozy mystery series, so of course there are crimes that Magdalena solves in her own, very unique way. These aspects were at their best in "Batter Off Dead".

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As the World Churns by Tamar Myers


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this one. Definitely light - there were a few "inside jokes", however, that I might have missed without reading the earlier books in the series. It felt as though the author finally figured out exactly who Magdalena is - and that would be perhaps be one of the nuttiest in the bunch.

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The Shooters by W.E.B. Griffin


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I started reading the Presidential Agent Series by W.E.B. Griffin when an online friend enthused over the 5th book in the series, "Black Ops". He said, however, that to really enjoy that one to the fullest, I'd want to read the first 4. I've done that, and have enjoyed them all.

This story built on the relationships that seem to grow more intriguing with each book. Castillo is an entertaining character, with his dog Max, his wise-guy comments, and his sly ways of cutting through the inevitable government red tape.

There wasn't a whole lot of plot to this book: the presidential order is to find and rescue someone. Most of the 400+ page book is about what the team goes through to plan the mission. The "action" all takes place in about the last 20 - 30 pages. The agents for whom the book is titled take up probably 5 - 10 pages of the story. Maybe less.

The author may have used this novel as a build-up for the next one. Although the plot was not nearly as interesting to me as earlier books in the series, it was still fun to read as the author painted a more detailed picture of Castillo, Pevsner, and other characters. I look forward to finally reading the book - Black Ops - that was originally recommended to me next!

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Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The greatest book ever written about the German resistance to Nazism? That's what was promised by the book cover, and perhaps too-high expectations led to my overall disappointment with the book.

One of the things that took away from the story for me may have been sloppy translating. Verb tenses shifted sometimes from one sentence to another in ways that were irritating because they were just so darned noticeable. So for me, that took away from the flow of the story.

In a way, the small things that the people did in this novel led to a feeling of hopelessness. The impact was generally not good - for example, one person's attempt to save a Jewish widow led to her ultimate suicide. And in the case of the main characters, the Quangels, their efforts had very little impact despite the great danger they put themselves in. Not only were they ultimately harmed, but so were others whom they cared for because of the others' inadvertent involvement.

But on the other hand, even though the efforts seemed to have no impact at all, or a terribly negative impact (short-term), it's not a book that is totally without hope. A cell-mate of Otto Quangel voiced what I think the author was trying to get across. That is, it doesn't really matter what the results were. Otto and his wife dared to do something when many others refused to. Otto chose to be true to himself. He did not simply cower in fear, hoping that things would change somehow. "It would have been a hundred times better if we'd had someone who could have told us 'such and such is what you have to do' . . . As it was, we acted alone, we were caught alone, and every one of us will have to die alone. But that doesn't mean we ARE alone, Quangel, or that our deaths will be in vain. Nothing in this world is done in vain, and since we are fighting for justice against brutality, we are bound to prevail in the end."

Passages like this made the novel worth spending the time to read, but overall, I have a feeling that the best book about German resistance either lies elsewhere or has yet to be written.

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Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha by Dorothy Gilman


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book rather surprised me. I'm used to the Mrs. Pollifax books being light and very funny, with Mrs. Pollifax getting in to scrapes and then finding unusual ways to come out of them. While she still comes out on top in the end, in this novel she falls into a terrible trap and pays dearly for it - making this book not quite as much "fun" but still very good. Definitely a story that departs from the formula of the first ones.

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The Highly Effective Detective by Richard Yancey


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a surprising book! I chose this one for my "A to Z" challenge, needing an author name that began with a Y. Turns out it was a very enjoyable choice.

Ted Ruzak is not the smartest or most handsome PI you'll ever meet. He talks WAY to much and "makes sense without making sense". In other words, he is entirely lovable. He can't figure out his assistant, Felicia, but she reads him like a book - making for a very interesting work relationship.

While this book is entertaining, it isn't quite in the "Cozy" genre. Looking at my favorite site on this topic http://www.cozy-mystery.com/,
"Cozy mysteries are considered “gentle” books… no graphic violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex. Most often, the crime takes place “off stage” and death is usually very quick. Prolonged torture is not a staple in cozy mysteries! The victim is usually a character who had terrible vices or who treated others very badly. Dare I say…. the victim “deserved to die?” And, there are usually connections between the victims (if indeed there are multiple victims… which usually, in a cozy mystery, there are!), even though the reader is not aware of the obvious connections until the amateur sleuth solves the crimes."

Where this book doesn't fit is in the language (but bad language is used only by the bad guys), and the fact that the victim clearly was not someone whose life you were happy to see end. In other ways, it is very much like a "Cozy" with likable characters, a fast pace, an amateur detective (make that totally clueless), plenty of twists and turns, and a lack of graphic violence and explicit sex.

I am happy to note that there is a second book in the series, and I look forward to reading it.

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You Are My Sunshine by Judith Saxton


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I picked up "Your Are My Sunshine" by Judith Saxton on a lark. I am trying to complete an A to Z reading challenge, for which I need to read at least one author whose name begins with a different letter of the alphabet. For "X" you are allowed to use an author that contains the letter anywhere within the name. After having tried a couple of books by authors whose names did begin with "X" but not being able to get through them, I began to think, "There must be authors with names like Saxton or Paxton . . . " and at my local library I did indeed find this novel.

The parts that made it not quite my cup of tea were the sections of soap-opera type romance. I'd like to think that I am a romantic at heart - yet romance novels per se have never been ones that I enjoy. I mean, why waste my time READING about such things when I can - Oh, well. Nevermind.

However, there was plenty that I did like about this book. One was the element of history I learned. I knew next to nothing about the balloons that England used in the first years of WWII to try and protect themselves from low-flying Nazi aircraft. The balloons would be set aloft with bombs attached to defend against those enemy planes. The work was hard, but as the war went on, they were apparently "manned" by the WAAF while the men were transferred to duty elsewhere. The balloon operatives (BOPS) were apparently the cream of the WAAF crop - strong and dedicated women to be sure. However, the dangers of their role were staggering. Eventually, the women were reassigned to other duties because of the high rates of serious injury and death. But at the same time, the balloons proved to lose effectiveness as the Germans developed different types of bombers. The author did an outstanding job of describing how the balloons were put up, showing the dangers and inevitable injuries and death clearly but without unnecessarily descriptive gore.

The other aspect of the novel I liked was that it showed how people from entirely different backgrounds can come together and become effective team members AND close friends. Each of the 4 main characters brought their own skills and outlooks that made the whole much stronger than its individual members. Having personally done some study on what makes diversity effective (or not) in the workplace, I found this part of the story interesting and quite well done.

So all in all, despite being a genre I typically would shy away from, I'm glad the A to Z challenge led me to this novel. There was certainly enough to like about the story, and it was worthwhile to learn a little bit about these brave women of the WAAF BOPs.

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Hell Hath No Curry by Tamar Myers


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the title that first grabbed my attention and sparked my interest in the series - loving a good play on words as I do. Now, after reading the first 14 in the series, I've finally read this one!

"Hell Hath No Curry" ranks as one of my favorites in the series. There were moments of laugh-out-loud humor (especially - SPOILER - the "singing rat" at the Sausage Barn). There was still adolescent humor that I didn't find all that funny, though.

I have enjoyed Magdalena more as she has gained some depth, owing in large part to her unexpected foster parenting of an interesting teen-aged girl. Magdalena can still get on my nerves, but in this book the mystery itself was a pretty good one. And it is always interesting to see how Magdalena goes about ruling suspects out . . . she certainly has a unique way about her.

SPOILER ALERT

The story ends with Magdalena finally marrying Gabe. A big question for me is - will Gabe continue to be part of the story in #16? (Unlike Aaron Miller, whom Magdalena married on the last pages of one book, only to have disappeared in the first pages of the next). I feel as though the author is perhaps finally figuring out who Magdalena is. I hope so, as the interactions she has with Ida Rosen, Gabe Rosen, Doc Schafor, Allison, Susannah and Wanda are priceless and I'd like to see them all the next time around.

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Meeting God Behind Enemy Lines by Stephen H. Watkins


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I read this book because my husband handed it to me. It's unusual for him to sit down and read something cover-to-cover, but he did. This story totally engaged him from beginning to end.

Alas, I'm thinking it is a "guy" book. It gave a lot of details into what it takes to become a Navy SEAL. Oh, my goodness - I thought we had a policy against torture. Apparently it doesn't apply to the training of this unit. I was amazed at what had to be endured to become a SEAL. But then again, only the toughest people on the planet would be able to do the things that the SEALs do.

Stephen Watkin's personal Christian testimony was quite interesting, although some of the phrases he used seemed like boilerplate Christian language and not totally from the heart - although I'm sure Watkins really does believe what he says he believes.

I liked the book, so 3 stars from me. My husband would probably give it at least 4 stars, though.

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Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station by Dorothy Gilman


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a re-read for me. That's kind of unusual, but after having read a few of the books quite out of sequence, and loving this series as much as I do, I decided to read them all from the beginning. The first time I read "China Station" I thought it was OK . . . but this time I thoroughly enjoyed it. The difference is likely the context of understanding everything that came before.

Mrs. Pollifax is one of those endearing characters . . . in situations that might not otherwise be believable, I'm drawn in because given who she is the story becomes very plausible. There's plenty of humor, and I'm glad that Mrs. P has a fairly good intuition about people. She is usually correct in who she trusts. This particular novel, I thought, was very interesting from the perspective of western ideas examined in the light of eastern ones.

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Grape Expectations by Tamar Myers


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Every time I read another book in this series, I feel like I owe someone an apology . . .

This is # 14 in a series that has a few surprises, contrived comedy, and a main character that I'm not sure anyone can figure out.

The mystery aspect in this one was OK, but again the author shakes things up quite a lot. Over the course of the series, characters that were very much a part of the story are sometimes shoved aside by one means or another. I sometimes think that the author, just like me, doesn't quite know what to make of Magdalena.

Now that I've invested the time to read 14 in the series I admit I plan to finish up. Tamar Myers has written 17 of these books, and I wonder how many more there will be? Where will the series end? Will it ever end?

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An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I know very little about post-WWII Japan, and all that I knew came from the perspective of Americans. It was fascinating, therefore, to read this story from a Japanese author who was born in the post-war era. It is about an artist who gained a measure of respect and renown while working as a loyal supporter of the Japanese emperor. After the war, he struggles with the changes in Japanese society as well as his loss of esteem in society - particularly among the younger generation who tended to blame people like him for the bombings and hardships they had to endure.

The floating world was described specifically in the novel as the world of pre-war nightlife. This had been the theme of his early artwork - yet the artist had begun to take a turn and paint subjects that were more earthy and real. I think the title "Floating World" is not actually the artist's subject, but rather the shifting tides of thought and values in society.

I enjoyed the authors use of words to paint pictures in my mind of his family members, acquaintances, and the "pleasure district" both in its pre-war glory and in its bombed-out remnants after the war. The best illustrator in the world could not have painted scenes as vividly as the author did with his writing.

The only thing that bugged me about the book was the artist's ramblings - and not even the ramblings so much as his penchant for saying that he had strayed and what he had meant to talk about was . . . This was OK the first couple of times but it grated on me a little with repeated use after that. A minor criticism of what, on the whole, is an excellent book and one that I will probably return to again in the future. I suppose that's because of what the artist ultimately learned in his life's journey.

ALERT - SPOILERS:

Despite his rise as a person of influence and his subsequent fall and suffering (loss of wife and son, strained relationships with his daughters, and estrangement from some of his collegues), the artist Ono ultimately experiences "a profound sense of happiness deriving from the conviction that one's efforts have been justified; that the hard work undertaken, the doubts overcome, have all been worthwhile; that one has achieved something of real value and distinction." In the words of his friend, "We at least acted on what we believed and did our utmost." Ono finds peace in realizing that the fact of the final consequences - success or failure - is not as important to the human spirit as was the fact that he was willing to take action despite the risk.


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The Hunters by W.E.B. Griffin


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Why do I think that W.E.B. Griffin has the inside scoop on how things really work in Washington? When the CIA and FBI can't get the job done, what is a president to do? Create his/her own team, of course, under the guise of "top secret presidential". Such a group by no means escapes political wrangling by others who think that they should really be the ones in charge.

This is the third in the Presidential Agent series by W.E.B. Griffin, and so far it's my favorite. The good-guy characters are (mostly) all business - one of the things that fascinated me about this novel in particular is how the good guys sift through issues of who is trustworthy, and who is not.

The Hunters is intriguing and seems to give some insight into the world of national security and espionage. Sometimes the best friend to have is the enemy of your enemy, a concept that is apparent in this story. There are suspenseful moments but I wouldn't characterize the book as a page-turner. It's more like a tide that pulls you in almost without you realizing it.

Griffin gives us a hero, Charley Castillo, who is far from perfect but still very admirable. His unique and diverse background helps him get into places where others simply cannot go. His intuition combined with this background also helps him to build a highly effective team, even when some members arrive with hesitation and doubt.

There is much to enjoy in this series, and it's probably quite obvious that I highly recommend it.

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Summer Field Trip

My son came with me to visit my office on a vacation day this past Thursday. He has an interest in all things scientific, (and engineering, too) and was absolutely thrilled to go with me. I've been looking for possible career goals for him, which is difficult since I don't have much of a background in the things that interest him. I was thrilled that when I asked at work if he could possibly see something in the lab under a microscope while he was in, the team gave me an enthusiastic "yes" and even put together a small program for his visit!

The microbiology team and one of the chemists seemed delighted to show him their labs. I am not sure what impressed Dennis the most . . . helping to measure and mix things with the chemist, or working with the microbiologists on an experiment. They treated my son, an inquisitive 9-year old kid, like a colleague. After spending nearly a half hour between the two labs, we went to the employee lounge for a quick treat and a break. Then, he asked to meet some engineers.

I hadn't realized that when I mentioned something in passing at home to my husband (not all that confidential but enough so that I'm not going to post details), my son was listening in from the next room. When I got permission to go see one of the engineers, Dennis said, "I've been thinking about your _____ problem. Could you . . .?" Rich answered that Dennis' idea was a good one, and something that someone on his team was looking on. Dennis made a second suggestion, and Rich replied that this idea, too, was something that was being looked at in another area of the company. Dennis then made a third suggestion that was quite over my head. Rich asked him a couple of questions about his idea and then said, "You're a young man who likes to solve problems, aren't you?" Dennis said, "Yes, I am". Needless to say, I was rather amazed at the whole conversation.

On the way home, I asked Dennis what he thought about his visit. He said, "I think that some day I will work for your company - unless I decide to be a gym teacher."

Behind Bayonets: The Civil War in Northern Ohio by David D. Van Tassel


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For someone who lives in northeast Ohio, this was a fascinating look at the areas involvement in the Civil War. The author was a professor of history at Case Western Reserve University and his profound interest (and dare I say love) for the subject was apparent. While not "edge of your seat" reading, this book still held my interest from beginning to end by bringing to light the individual experiences of those involved in the war as well as those on the home front: men, women, white and black. An excellent history of the Civil War years in this area.

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Damage Control by J.A. Jance


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was fascinated by this novel - it seemed gritty and real as Sheriff Joanna Brady dealt with a boat load of investigations on top of some challenging family and personal issues. This is the first time I've ready anything by J.A. Jance, and it will definitely not be the last.

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Thou Shalt Not Grill by Tamar Myers


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
One of the better ones in the series, but not quite my favorite. As always, very light and a bit of a guilty pleasures. But sometimes even the most avid reader needs a break from "War and Peace"!

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Custard's Last Stand by Tamar Myers


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This series has become my guilty pleasure - definitely fluff. Magdalena, although I haven't liked her all that much, nonetheless seems to be an addicting character for me. Once again, though, the author takes us off on a wild tangent. This time it came at the end of the book, instead of at the beginning of the next one. Here I am on #11 in the series and I still feel like the author doesn't quite know what to do with her main character. But then again, I guess Magdalena defies definition.

I did very much like some aspects of the book. Magdalena's observations about Richard Nixon, pastor of the "Church With 32 Names", are amusing. Her conversation with her "mother" at the cemetery was revealing and also amusing. Magdalena's comments about her own ugliness aren't at all believable when you consider how so many men seem to like her (there was Aaron and now Gabe, and at various times in the series plenty of other men have seemed to want to proposition her). And by the way, the book is supposed to be a mystery - however, the mystery in this one was rather weak.

As I said earlier, though, there is something about the character and her town that keeps me coming back. I've already got #12 and #13 in the series waiting to be read . . .


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Write it When I'm Gone by Tom DeFrank


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is well worth reading, despite the fact that it is not exactly well organized. The author basically recorded things that were said in the order of his interviews with the former president. The approach I would have liked better would have been to discuss things topic by topic - aside from the one chapter on miscellaneous, short topics. However, the insights shared were extremely fascinating so I would recommend the book to anyone interested in recent US history.


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Mount Washmore

I'm not sure when I started referring to the mess in my laundry room as Mount Washmore. It gets whittled down a little bit each weekend, and then rebuilds during the week. Honestly, you'd think that as often as I have the washing machine and dryer running, we'd not have this problem.

It's compounded by having spent several hours of overtime at work this week. I think my boss is concluding that the job is too big for one person. The former person in my position frequently hired a temp to get caught up on tasks; now, the workload has only increased with the addition of a VP to the group. So, instead of trying to support 1 VP, I am not trying to support 2! Crazy busy . . .

As for reading time, I've not had a bunch. I am slowing working on a book by Nancy Snyderman, "Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat" and a book about Gerald Ford titled "Write It When I'm Gone". In-between, I've read a couple of children's books by Lemony Snicket. Yep, I got pulled into looking at the first two in "The Series of Unfortunate Events". I read "The Bad Beginning" last weekend, and last night read "The Reptile Room". I enjoyed the 2nd one a great deal more than the first. But I'm not quite sure what to make of the series . . .

Well, enough of my sob story . . . time to go throw another load of clothes in!

Summertime Blues

It seems like the summer is zipping by way too fast, and I haven't done any of the things I'd envisioned. I've not been reading much, either. Work, work, work!