Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Teaser Tuesday 121: No Rest For the Wiccan
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!
I caught up on Madelyn Alt's "Bewitching Mystery" series over the weekend, reading books 4-6 of the 8-book series (don't have book 7 yet, and 8 is out in HC in May—which means I won't be getting that for another year, when the PB version is out). This week's teaser comes from book 4, No Rest for the Wiccan, and is between the book’s heroine, Maggie, and her younger sister Melanie. Ah, sisters...ya gotta love 'em (or not).
ABOUT THE BOOK:
This is the fourth book in a series of eight.
It’s a long, hot summer in Stony Mill, and Maggie is busy watching TV reruns, minding the store, and figuring out her love life. Then, she reluctantly volunteers to care for her bedridden, oh-so-perfect sister, Mel. But Mel isn’t the only focus of Maggie’s attention. There are some strange spirits hanging about the area—and it looks like a job for Maggie and the N.I.G.H.T.S. ghost-hunting team.
Even as she tries to deal with the long dead, Maggie must also cope with the recently deceased. When a friend of Mel’s loses her husband to a dreadful fall, the police call it an accidental death. Maggie’s not so sure, and sets her second sights on finding a first-degree murderer...
Other books in the series
* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!
I caught up on Madelyn Alt's "Bewitching Mystery" series over the weekend, reading books 4-6 of the 8-book series (don't have book 7 yet, and 8 is out in HC in May—which means I won't be getting that for another year, when the PB version is out). This week's teaser comes from book 4, No Rest for the Wiccan, and is between the book’s heroine, Maggie, and her younger sister Melanie. Ah, sisters...ya gotta love 'em (or not).
"Hm. You have just become almost interesting, Maggie. Congratulations." She smirked. "Bet you Mom doesn't know."
(pg 65)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
This is the fourth book in a series of eight.
It’s a long, hot summer in Stony Mill, and Maggie is busy watching TV reruns, minding the store, and figuring out her love life. Then, she reluctantly volunteers to care for her bedridden, oh-so-perfect sister, Mel. But Mel isn’t the only focus of Maggie’s attention. There are some strange spirits hanging about the area—and it looks like a job for Maggie and the N.I.G.H.T.S. ghost-hunting team.
Even as she tries to deal with the long dead, Maggie must also cope with the recently deceased. When a friend of Mel’s loses her husband to a dreadful fall, the police call it an accidental death. Maggie’s not so sure, and sets her second sights on finding a first-degree murderer...
Other books in the series
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
So Tired!
I did not get much sleep last night, and I am really starting to feel it, as I knew I would. I think I turned the lights out just after midnight, as I had to finish the book I was reading. When I climbed into bed around 10pm, I intended to finish the chapter I was on and that was it. Except-- I was so near the end, I couldn't put it down and next thing I knew it was midnight. No problem. I could still get six hours of sleep in before the alarm went off.
Yeah, right.
Not in my building, and especially not with snow coming down all night. Some cretin down the hall woke me up at 2:30 in the morning. At first I thought it was one of the inconsiderate idiots in the building rudely stomping outside my apartment again, but when I heard the noise again, it sounded like someone was beating on or kicking the back door in an attempt to gain entry. Seriously? In the middle of the night, people? Needless to say, I was NOT happy.
So, I manage to get back to sleep and the next thing I know the stupid maintenance guy that lives upstairs was waking me up, plowing. At 4:30am! Again--NOT HAPPY. And he couldn't just plow a straight line down the main driveway and be done with it. Oh, no. That would be too easy and not quite as noisy. Instead he was dragging the snow from the dead end down the drive, and then pushing it down the service road between two buildings. Which makes an ungodly metal-on-asphalt scraping noise. And he kept this up for nearly an hour.
The worst of it is, when I left this morning, it didn't even look like they had plowed! See for yourself--does that street look cleared to you? Ugh!
One thing is certain, though. The heavy, wet snow draping the trees sure looked pretty this morning. It made me want to take my camera out for a walk instead of going in to work. I had to settle for snapping a few pics once I got in, like the one below.
Perhaps if I get home before dark tonight I will take a short walk, only a couple blocks or so, and see if I can get a few good pics. Maybe. If I can muster the energy. Think anyone would notice if I took a short nap?
Yeah, right.
Not in my building, and especially not with snow coming down all night. Some cretin down the hall woke me up at 2:30 in the morning. At first I thought it was one of the inconsiderate idiots in the building rudely stomping outside my apartment again, but when I heard the noise again, it sounded like someone was beating on or kicking the back door in an attempt to gain entry. Seriously? In the middle of the night, people? Needless to say, I was NOT happy.
So, I manage to get back to sleep and the next thing I know the stupid maintenance guy that lives upstairs was waking me up, plowing. At 4:30am! Again--NOT HAPPY. And he couldn't just plow a straight line down the main driveway and be done with it. Oh, no. That would be too easy and not quite as noisy. Instead he was dragging the snow from the dead end down the drive, and then pushing it down the service road between two buildings. Which makes an ungodly metal-on-asphalt scraping noise. And he kept this up for nearly an hour.
The worst of it is, when I left this morning, it didn't even look like they had plowed! See for yourself--does that street look cleared to you? Ugh!
One thing is certain, though. The heavy, wet snow draping the trees sure looked pretty this morning. It made me want to take my camera out for a walk instead of going in to work. I had to settle for snapping a few pics once I got in, like the one below.
Perhaps if I get home before dark tonight I will take a short walk, only a couple blocks or so, and see if I can get a few good pics. Maybe. If I can muster the energy. Think anyone would notice if I took a short nap?
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thursday Thirteen 238: Vocabulary--A Tale of Two Cities, Pt 1
As I have averred in previous posts, reading the classics is an excellent way of expanding one’s vocabulary. Here are a few of the many great words I noted during a recent reading of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it. I admit that it was a little slow-going in the beginning, but by the middle of the novel I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough and stayed up all night to finish it. Examples of usage are taken from the novel.hardihood [hahr-dee-hood] noun
1. Boldness or daring; courage; Audacity or impudence.
USAGE: If any one of the three had had the hardihood to propose to another to walk on a little ahead…
adjuration [aj-uh-rey-shuhn] noun
1. An earnest request; entreaty.
2. A solemn or desperate urging or counseling:
blunderbuss [bluhn-der-buhs] noun
A short musket of wide bore with expanded muzzle to scatter shot, bullets, or slugs at close range.
USAGE: With this hurried adjuration, he cocked his blunderbuss, and stood on the offensive.
fain [feyn] adjective
Archaic: constrained; obliged.
USAGE: His message perplexed his mind to that degree that he was fain, several times, to take off his hat to scratch his head.
offal [aw-fuhl, of-uhl] noun
The parts of a butchered animal that are considered inedible by human beings; carrion.
USAGE: Hunger stared down from the smokeless chimneys, and started up from the filthy street that had no offal, among its refuse, of anything to eat.
atomy [at-uh-mee] noun, plural -mies.
1. An atom; mote.
porringer [pawr-in-jer, por-] noun
A low dish or cup, often with a handle, from which soup, porridge, or the like is eaten.
USAGE: Hunger was shred into atomies in every farthing porringer of husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil.
predicate [v. pred-i-keyt] verb, -cated
To proclaim; declare; affirm; assert.
USAGE: There was a character about Madame Defarge, from which one might have predicated that she did not often make mistakes against herself in any of the reckonings over which she presided.
provender [prov-uhn-der] noun
Food; provisions.
USAGE: Monsieur Defarge put this provender, and the lamp he carried, on the shoemaker’s bench (there was nothing else in the garret but a pallet bed), and he and Mr. Lorry roused the captive, and assisted him to his feet.
postilion [poh-stil-yuhn, po-] noun
a person who rides the left horse of the leading or only pair of horses drawing a carriage.
USAGE: The postilion cracked his whip, and they clattered away under the feeble over-swinging lamps.
incumbent [in-kuhm-buhnt] adjective
Obligatory (often followed by on or upon)
USAGE: But, by this time she trembled under such strong emotion, and her face expressed such deep anxiety, and, above all, such dread and terror, that Mr. Lorry felt it incumbent on him to speak a word or two of reassurance.
incommodious [in-kuh-moh-dee-uhs] adjective
Inconvenient, as not affording sufficient space or room; uncomfortable:
USAGE: It was very small, very dark, very ugly, very incommodious.
immolate [im-uh-leyt] verb
To sacrifice.
USAGE: That, he had been the prisoner’s friend, but, at once in an auspicious and an evil hour detecting his infamy, had resolved to immolate the traitor he could no longer cherish in his bosom, on the sacred altar of his country.
How many did you recognize? Are there any that you particularly liked?
More Thursday Thirteen participants.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Teaser Tuesday 120: Lawful Engagement
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!
Another plucked out of the bedside stack, Lawful Engagement by Linda O. Johnston. I actually started this one way back in 2004, when it was originally out, and got about 50 pages into it before it was misplaced—which is not like me at all. Especially where books in a connected series are concerned. I happened upon it a couple months ago while sorting through some books, decided I should finish it, and ended up starting it all over again during the weekend. This week's teaser comes from the first few pages of the book, so is not a spoiler, despite the content.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
This is book three of the "Shotgun Sallys" trilogy.
Book 1: Out for Justice by Susan Kerney (May 2004)
Book 2: Legally Binding by Ann Voss Peterson (June 2004)
Fledgling reporter Cara Hamilton had just landed the story of her life. But it was the aggravating—yet oh-so-appealing— Deputy Mitch Steele trailing her every step of the way, insisting they share information, that had her heart racing. Mitch swore all he wanted was to keep her safe. Or so he tried to tell her...
It was Mitch’s job to protect the feisty journalist. After all, a killer was loose and Cara had stumbled upon the most recent victim. Mitch would let nothing, and no one, harm the beautiful Cara. Even if ensuring her safety meant spending night after day holding her in his arms...
* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!
Another plucked out of the bedside stack, Lawful Engagement by Linda O. Johnston. I actually started this one way back in 2004, when it was originally out, and got about 50 pages into it before it was misplaced—which is not like me at all. Especially where books in a connected series are concerned. I happened upon it a couple months ago while sorting through some books, decided I should finish it, and ended up starting it all over again during the weekend. This week's teaser comes from the first few pages of the book, so is not a spoiler, despite the content.
Cara’s question was answered in less than a moment, when she turned Nancy over. Her eyes were closed—and there was an ugly, black-rimmed red hole in the middle of her forehead. And so much blood...
(page 12)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
This is book three of the "Shotgun Sallys" trilogy.
Book 1: Out for Justice by Susan Kerney (May 2004)
Book 2: Legally Binding by Ann Voss Peterson (June 2004)
Fledgling reporter Cara Hamilton had just landed the story of her life. But it was the aggravating—yet oh-so-appealing— Deputy Mitch Steele trailing her every step of the way, insisting they share information, that had her heart racing. Mitch swore all he wanted was to keep her safe. Or so he tried to tell her...
It was Mitch’s job to protect the feisty journalist. After all, a killer was loose and Cara had stumbled upon the most recent victim. Mitch would let nothing, and no one, harm the beautiful Cara. Even if ensuring her safety meant spending night after day holding her in his arms...
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Thursday Thirteen 237: Recently Read
Another thirteen books already finished for the year. Which is more impressive when you consider A Tale of Two Cities took at least a week to finish. A nice mix here of mystery, YA, classics and romance. Click on any cover to find out more about the book.
* Sea of Suspicion is a rom-suspense won from a group at GoodReads.
* A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens was the January group read for TNBBC at GoodReads.com. It's one of those books I always wanted to read, but never got round to, and am glad I finally did. Loved it!
* Nora Roberts and Stephenie Meyer: Two borrowed books down, about a dozen more to go.
* Kate Collins: January featured author for the Cozy Mysteries group at GR. I read books 5 and 6 of her Flower Shop Mystery series at beginning of January, and books 7, 8 and 9 at end of the month. This catches me up on the books of hers I actually had in my TBR pile. Still three more in the series to catch up on!
* Dorothy L Sayers: The Complete Stories is an anthology I've been working through since August 2010. Some of the stories were better than others, but overall a pretty good collection. So glad to have it finished, and cross a goal off this year's list!
* Total books read for year up to this point: 15 towards a goal of 100 books for 2012.
YOUR TURN: Read anything good lately you would recommend?
Find more Thursday Thirteen participants here.
* Sea of Suspicion is a rom-suspense won from a group at GoodReads.
* A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens was the January group read for TNBBC at GoodReads.com. It's one of those books I always wanted to read, but never got round to, and am glad I finally did. Loved it!
* Nora Roberts and Stephenie Meyer: Two borrowed books down, about a dozen more to go.
* Kate Collins: January featured author for the Cozy Mysteries group at GR. I read books 5 and 6 of her Flower Shop Mystery series at beginning of January, and books 7, 8 and 9 at end of the month. This catches me up on the books of hers I actually had in my TBR pile. Still three more in the series to catch up on!
* Dorothy L Sayers: The Complete Stories is an anthology I've been working through since August 2010. Some of the stories were better than others, but overall a pretty good collection. So glad to have it finished, and cross a goal off this year's list!
* Total books read for year up to this point: 15 towards a goal of 100 books for 2012.
YOUR TURN: Read anything good lately you would recommend?
Find more Thursday Thirteen participants here.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Wordless Wednesday 38: Winter Light
That's the sun, by the way, not the moon.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Teaser Tuesday 119: Solid as Steele
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!
This is one of two books read over the weekend. It is a rom-suspense by Rebecca York from last year, plucked off the TBR pile on a whim.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
P.I. Mack Steele had loved Jamie Shepherd from the moment he'd met her...but she'd always been off-limits—until her frantic phone call reached out to him in the dead of night....
Jamie couldn't deny her fear when her "gift" returned. Her disturbing dreams were too real—trapped in a macabre fun house, a woman needed her help. Nor could Jamie deny her forbidden attraction to her dark, sexy protector. Lured back to the hometown she'd long ago escaped, Jamie had only Mack to save her from her dreams...and the very real, very twisted killer who'd lured her into his game. But would Mack be enough?
* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!
This is one of two books read over the weekend. It is a rom-suspense by Rebecca York from last year, plucked off the TBR pile on a whim.
She wanted to feel safe. Even more than that, she wanted to feel normal, and the most normal thing she could cling to was the man who held her in his arms. He was solid and strong. Sure of his own values. She’d always liked that about him, even when she’d understood that those values were keeping them apart as much as her own resolve.
(pg 68)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
P.I. Mack Steele had loved Jamie Shepherd from the moment he'd met her...but she'd always been off-limits—until her frantic phone call reached out to him in the dead of night....
Jamie couldn't deny her fear when her "gift" returned. Her disturbing dreams were too real—trapped in a macabre fun house, a woman needed her help. Nor could Jamie deny her forbidden attraction to her dark, sexy protector. Lured back to the hometown she'd long ago escaped, Jamie had only Mack to save her from her dreams...and the very real, very twisted killer who'd lured her into his game. But would Mack be enough?
CAS Birthday Cards
Here are a couple of quick CAS (clean and simple) birthday cards I threw together Sunday night while watching (listening to) the Grammy Awards. As you can see, there is no stamping on either of these, mostly just a few paper scraps and some dimensional stickers.
I apologize for such dark photos. There's a reason I usually try to photograph my creations during the morning, when there is natural light coming in the windows. Alas, I wanted to get these out in the mail, so could not wait to photograph them in the morning. If I had, I would have forgotten to do it, and then they would have been even later going out than they already are.
PAPER: Kraft, assorted paper scraps
ACCESSORIES: Dimensional stickers (unknown company), grosgrain ribbon
I apologize for such dark photos. There's a reason I usually try to photograph my creations during the morning, when there is natural light coming in the windows. Alas, I wanted to get these out in the mail, so could not wait to photograph them in the morning. If I had, I would have forgotten to do it, and then they would have been even later going out than they already are.
PAPER: Kraft, assorted paper scraps
ACCESSORIES: Dimensional stickers (unknown company), grosgrain ribbon
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Thursday Thirteen 236: Random Quotes
A few random quotes collected over the last few months...
1. Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.
~Edith Sitwell
2. Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult.
~Anne Rice, Interview With the Vampire
3. A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.
~Abraham Maslow
4. I dreamt that my hair was kempt. Then I dreamt that my true love unkempt it.
~Ogden Nash
5. And the fox said to the little prince: men have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince
6. Even a good place gets to be a rut, especially if you're standing in it alone... Alone and lonely share the same root.
~Nora Roberts, Chasing Fire
7. Most people think that shadows follow, precede, or surround beings or objects. The truth is that they also surround words, ideas, desires, deeds, impulses and memories.
~Elie Wiesel
8. Books say: She did this because. Life says: She did this. Books are where things are explained to you; life is where things aren't. I'm not surprised some people prefer books.
~Julian Barnes
9. If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.
~Nora Roberts
10. Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.
~Lloyd Alexander
11. Tempting, really. But...I shot and killed my last boyfriend. I'm not ready for a relationship yet.
~Grace, upon being asked out
The Mentalist (12-8-11)
12. Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
~Thomas Merton
13. We are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read.
~Jules Verne
More Thursday Thirteen Lists
1. Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.
~Edith Sitwell
2. Evil is always possible. And goodness is eternally difficult.
~Anne Rice, Interview With the Vampire
3. A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.
~Abraham Maslow
4. I dreamt that my hair was kempt. Then I dreamt that my true love unkempt it.
~Ogden Nash
5. And the fox said to the little prince: men have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince
6. Even a good place gets to be a rut, especially if you're standing in it alone... Alone and lonely share the same root.
~Nora Roberts, Chasing Fire
7. Most people think that shadows follow, precede, or surround beings or objects. The truth is that they also surround words, ideas, desires, deeds, impulses and memories.
~Elie Wiesel
8. Books say: She did this because. Life says: She did this. Books are where things are explained to you; life is where things aren't. I'm not surprised some people prefer books.
~Julian Barnes
9. If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.
~Nora Roberts
10. Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it.
~Lloyd Alexander
11. Tempting, really. But...I shot and killed my last boyfriend. I'm not ready for a relationship yet.
~Grace, upon being asked out
The Mentalist (12-8-11)
12. Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
~Thomas Merton
13. We are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read.
~Jules Verne
More Thursday Thirteen Lists
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Monday, February 06, 2012
Teaser Tuesday 118: Tombs of Endearment
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!
Plucked Tombs of Endearment, the third installment in the Pepper Martin mystery series by Casey Daniels, off the TBR stack last night and am already halfway through. Love this series! Pepper is a sassy, down-on-her-luck cemetery tour guide, who has recently discovered an ability to see ghosts. This week's teaser comes from near the middle of the book.
Back cover blurb:
Cemetery tour guide Pepper Martin never imagined she’d get to meet rock legend Damon Curtis, the bad boy poet who made millions of teenage girls scream. After all, he kicked the bucket years before she was born. But thanks to her newfound ability to chat up the dead, Pepper’s got a front row seat perfect for swooning over the still-sexy Damon’s latest lyrics. He’s convinced that his former bandmate Vinnie Pallucci murdered him back in ’71, and he’s promised Pepper she won’t get any rest or peace until she helps him prove it.
But when Pepper goes behind the music, she finds Vinnie with a knife in his heart and the rest of the band members running for their lives. And if Pepper doesn’t snare the killer soon, Damon’s next hit from the great beyond might be her swan song.
* Grab your current book or recent read.
* Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere in the book.
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!
Plucked Tombs of Endearment, the third installment in the Pepper Martin mystery series by Casey Daniels, off the TBR stack last night and am already halfway through. Love this series! Pepper is a sassy, down-on-her-luck cemetery tour guide, who has recently discovered an ability to see ghosts. This week's teaser comes from near the middle of the book.
You’d think by now I’d be used to people (or at least people who used to be people) popping in and out of my life. And I was. Mostly.
Unless they happened to pop up in my bedroom.
(pg 105)
Back cover blurb:
Cemetery tour guide Pepper Martin never imagined she’d get to meet rock legend Damon Curtis, the bad boy poet who made millions of teenage girls scream. After all, he kicked the bucket years before she was born. But thanks to her newfound ability to chat up the dead, Pepper’s got a front row seat perfect for swooning over the still-sexy Damon’s latest lyrics. He’s convinced that his former bandmate Vinnie Pallucci murdered him back in ’71, and he’s promised Pepper she won’t get any rest or peace until she helps him prove it.
But when Pepper goes behind the music, she finds Vinnie with a knife in his heart and the rest of the band members running for their lives. And if Pepper doesn’t snare the killer soon, Damon’s next hit from the great beyond might be her swan song.
Sunday, February 05, 2012
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Friday, February 03, 2012
Random Photo: Walking
I took advantage of the unusually warm weather Tuesday (it was 50 degrees here--in January!) and went for a long walk. Between the temp and wind, there was a lot of melting going on, which made for some rather tricky navigating at times. There were some more shaded sections of the sidewalk that were still icy, while others were under two inches of water. And crossing the streets? There was one corner where I was forced to cross to the other side of the street as I could not access the other corner without
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Thursday Thirteen 235: Groundhog Day
Happy Groundhog Day!
On this date last year, we were in the midst of a blizzard that dumped nearly 20 inches of snow across Southern Wisconsin. This year? Complete 180. Not only is there no snow, but we’ve had temps up to 50 degrees this week. 50—in January! It feels more like early April than February. So, chances are pretty good that rodent out in Sun Prairie is going to see his little shadow, and make us pay for all this unusually warm winter weather. In honor of it being Groundhog Day, here are a few facts about these famed weather prognosticators.
[ETA: Well, I'll be... Jimmy did not see his shadow this morning. Looks like we may get an "early" spring afterall.]
1. Groundhogs are the largest member of the squirrel family, weighing in at about 13 pounds, with the brain the size of a cashew. They are brown or reddish-brown in color, with black feet.
2. Also known as woodchucks or marmots, the average lifespan of a groundhog is 6-8 years in the wild, and up to 10 in captivity. They are naturally aggressive and do not make good pets. It takes a lot of training and patience to "tame" them.
3. Groundhogs are found in North America, primarily the northern and eastern United States, but also into Canada and Alaska. You will not find them in desert regions of the southwest, as they prefer areas where woods and fields abut.
4. Though ground dwellers, groundhogs can climb trees, and are fairly good swimmers.
5. Groundhogs will eat grass, fruits, vegetables and even tree bark. They can easily decimate an entire garden, putting on fat to prepare for the coming winter.
6. At the first sign of frost, groundhogs retreat to their burrows and hibernate until spring. During hibernation, the heart rate drops and body temperature isn’t much warmer than the temp of the burrow, about 40F.
7. The groundhog will lose half its body weight while hibernating (don’t you wish you could lose weight while sleeping?!).
8. In the spring, females will give birth to a littler of about six kits (or cubs), which stay with mom for several months.
9. February 2 is not only Groundhog Day, but also the Christian feast day, Candlemas. There is a saying associated with the day:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Come, Winter, have another flight;
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go Winter, and come not again.
Sounds a bit familiar, yes?
10. The most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil, who made his first prediction in 1886. He has a 39% rate of accuracy. Wisconsin’s Jimmy the Groundhog is reported to have an accuracy rate of 80%. Temperatures must be above freezing for seven consecutive days for a prediction of an early spring.
11. Wisconsin’s groundhog history is almost as old as Pennsylvania’s. Early journal entries from local farmers note observations of area groundhogs as far back as 1886, though an “official” Groundhog Day celebration did not begin until 1948, when Wisconsin celebrated its 100th anniversary.
12. In February1952, there was a congressional feud between the delegates from PA and WI over Groundhog Day that made national headlines. Later that year, Sun Prairie, WI was proclaimed “Groundhog Capitol of the World.”
13. The 1993 movie Groundhog Day stars Bill Murray, a weatherman who is forced to relive the same day over and over until he can become less selfish and learn to be a better person. Although set in Punxsutawney, PA, most of the movie was actually filmed in Woodstock, Ill.
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