Books, Family, Random
Please go Read the READ Post from 12/30… and leave a comment!
This is my last post for 2007 and will be my successful completion to my goal of posting EVERY SINGLE DAY for the month of December! I plan on taking tomorrow off.
My bookish goals for 2008:
Anna Karenina -Tolstoy
read at least 33 books
join a ‘physical’ book club
and, take a writing class of some sort
Happy New Year! ”Make it Great in 2008!”
Please read my other post for today!
I just wanted to highlight to everyone that I have updated my PAST TENSE page to include everything I remember that I read in 2007. AND, what used to be my challenge page will be my 2008 list… Enjoy!
This is a sticker provided free from Baker Books, one of my very favorite bookshops in my locale. In fact, this establishment just might be the CLOSEST bookstore to my house! (that isn’t a dusty/smelly used books place)… The Borders nearby is not a fullsize store (which depresses me) and it is farther away. The mall has a Waldenbooks but, again, I’m not a fan of malls… (Hmm, is THAT why they seem to be building all of these outdoor shopping areas? Why ARE malls no longer the fun shopping destination?) They are building me a new Borders only 6 miles away but I hope I don’t allow this to diminish my efforts to travel to the South Coast, and Baker’s in particular.
Anyway, my friend Holly has a new car (congrats!) and she is very excited to add this sticker to it, just like she had on the former auto. Even though people often ask her, “Where’s READ?” as if it were a place and not a good idea; a good way to spend some time.
Or, is it? READing does transport us to new places, new adventures, exciting destinations! Perhaps, our IMAGINATION is a place after all! And one of the best ways to ‘get to’ our imagination, is to READ.
Without further ado, AND… to encourage comments! (as well as ensuring I get myself back to Bakers sooner than later!) I hereby offer such a sticker to the first 3 readers who comment here! HERE - not on the ABOUT page… (we’ll arrange the snailmail details offline…)
Happy Day-Before-New-Year’s-Eve!
This time of year is often melancholy for me. I have fond memories of puppies 
now gone flooding my top of mind. Christmas is over, days are still short – nights long and dark.
Though we have a few celebrations to consider: Mom&Dad’s wedding anniversary, Gma’s birthday, Dad’s Jan 1 birthday and only a few weeks to follow for Mom’s birthday, I always feel a hesistancy somehow assigned to these few days that are inbetween the bookends of Christmas and New Years.
Do I set New Year’s Resolutions? Take the holiday decorations down now or the first week in January? Untrim the tree? I’ve moved the unwrapped presents from under said tree and found places for these new items. I know I really should organize my greeting card list – whose did I receive? Whose address to update? Or do I flip the channels to watch THE-BEST-OF-2007 (music videos, sports plays, fashion flops.) I’ve found the resolutions written down from last year with merely a glance to see if I’ve totally forgotten any. And with this awareness, I decide that January is not too late to write down goals for 2008…
One of the gifts received was a book on BBQ that highlighted grand establishments and their techniques from all over the country. One happens to be in Massachusetts; in Hatfield. DJ and I kicked around the idea to spend today, Saturday, in travel to Hatfield, just north of Springfield along the Connecticut River for the chance to taste this Barbeque.
HOWEVER. Something inspired DJ to give more google-review-research to this place and guess what.
Last year, the Boston Globe reports that Holy Smokes indeed, happened to go up in smoke! Burned. to. the. ground.
So we won’t be driving over to Hatfield today. Now what?
Let me share the book-related activity I enjoyed yesterday! I went to an independent bookstore in Dartmouth called Baker Books. Holly & I really enjoy this store. I asked about quite a few books that I’ve seen reviewed and recommended in blogworld: anything by A.A.Gill, the Charles DeLint books, and, of course, Anna Karenina.
Here’s the cover I purchased: 
and what else did I buy? I BOUGHT A PRESENT FOR MY DAD. (thus the title of this post!) Yes, a book. I happened to buy him a book for Christmas, too:
This was a Borders impulse purchase. and now, I bought him one I want to read. I want to read FIRST. Before I ship it off to him! Is this so bad, so wrong? I’m already too late to mail the package in time to arrive for his birthday! and it’s already in my possession! It looks like a very fast read (if not bloody violent – but I knew that already and it started on page 2. page TWO!) So, since Dad probably isn’t reading this blog right now and it’s doubtful Auntie Lil has read this far, and MOM? ah, Mom can keep or secret. OR… she’ll probably tell me that he read this a long time ago!!
It’s Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men: 
Besides, I want to see the movie and what reviews I’ve read on both, make it just as enjoyable trying to match the Coen Bro’s version to the written version (as compared to the usual experience of being disappointed “Book is always better.” I love this stuff!
So, Mom? let me know… If I should ship it anyway. Don’t worry – I’ve got GOOD STUFF for you, too! xoxo, Care
Sachem Massasoit overlooking the harbor in Plymouth, just up from the Rock and the Mayflower II
Close up of the statue of Chief Massasoit
The Mayflower II 
William Bradford, Plymouth’s wise Governor documented his adventure of the pilgrimage and we have him to thank for much of the first person historical account of the landing and the first years. Sadly, his wife never saw Plymouth; she drowned during the time that Mayflower was stationed at its first stop in the new world – in Provincetown Harbor. It is speculated that she committed suicide. After having survived the wretched voyage over the sea and then to decide at that point? Anyway, we can only guess. Bradford NEVER mentions the incident. Only in his final years, do we see a glimpse of sorrow:
Faint not, poor soul, in God still trust.
Fear not the things though suffer must;
For, whom he loves he doth chastise,
And then all tears wipes from their eyes.
I am enjoying Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick; I’m on page 285 of 415.
I read while working out for 30 minutes on my treadmill so with my goal to get to 3 miles every day before February, I should be able to complete this book before the end of 2007!
The few thoughts that resonate with me without giving anything away…
1) Descriptions of COLD weather feel even colder when I consider the Pilgrims did not have automobiles with heated seats to travel in. Or L.L.Bean parkas to wear. Or a side road restaurant to drop in on to buy a coffee! Brrrrr.
2) I’m amazed how FAR these Pilgrims traveled and established towns in just a few generations (and quite a few ships to bring people to the new worlds..) Deep into Massachusetts – throughout the entire New England lands… These folks WALKED to their destinations! The very same routes and to/fro of towns I shop and drive to. But I get to DRIVE. and it still bugs me how far and how long it takes to get anywhere. ‘Back then’, these folks WALKED!
3) It’s interesting to find out that Plymouth was soon considered out-of-the-way and called a ‘backwater town’ in just over one generation. Boston had the better harbor and become much more a vital commerce center that Plymouth lost popularity. THUS, the road between Taunton and Plymouth didn’t even become a ‘nice’ (in today’s standards) highway until 2006!! That is when Rte 44 became a full 4 line (2 lanes of traffic in both directions) between Middleboro and Plymouth just last year. You would think it would have been a heavily trafficked route just in TIME and thus developed as a major byway… but I guess not economic necessity… Fascinating!
The book is really about the relationships between the English and the Native Indians. I’m learning a lot and enjoy thinking that I live in the very midst of the areas this all took place… But what makes me ‘think’ about the book, is how much things have changed…
The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it. (Ralph Waldo Emerson )
This quote resonates with me! Especially, with us being away from Family, we are dropping in on OTHER’s families and being welcomed with so much love and hospitality!
I will have to write this quote down and give as an ornament for the hosts!!!
 | iliana on 31 Hours |
| iliana on Update Notice (TGWTDT MAP… |
 | Kailana on Update Notice (TGWTDT MAP… |
 | Jessica on 31 Hours |
 | Care on Update Notice (TGWTDT MAP… |
Still Posting Every Day!
Published December 24, 2007 Challenge , Post-Every-Day 1 CommentTags: Blogging, Comment, Holidailies
Sure, one of the challenges and hopefully one of the benefits! to participating in the Holidailies Daily December Blogging ‘event’ is finding new and interesting blogs to enjoy. AND… creating more traffic. To here…
HOWEVER. I don’t think I’ve had even ONE comment! I guess I could be that uninspiring, but still!
I can tell I’ve had visitors due the incoming links page showing Holidailies – usually the random blog generator which I think is cool. I also admit that I have visited the AT HOME group more than the dedicated summary posters and MAYBE that’s my problem?
(oh – and I will allow this really isn’t a good time to be a complainer! It’s the holidays! Yes, I realize, this is very small issue in my grand list of life stuffs…)
When I go find a blog to ’sample’ from the Holidailies list, I usually try to offer a simple comment out of courtesy:
Something!
Which brings up my clarification and confusion with my admission of ‘TRYing’ to comment: Many of the blogs do not allow anonymous commentors. AND, they only allow comments from within Blogspot, or wherever. I find that sad. I would understand allowing a comment with approval only! I’m OK with the blogger censoring (since I rarely comment anything negative – not a big deal for me.)
So, if you found this from Holidailies – please let me know. THANKS. and Happy Merry Holiday Festivities to you all.
Sincerely,
- Care