The world of Pern

I was first introduced to the world of Pern when I was a young girl. I read Dragonflight for the first time at the age of 12 and was immediately and irrecovably in love. I used to dream of having a dragon of my very own and frequently named my pets after characters in the stories, (I once had a salamander named Ruth- however things got complicated because my beloved grandmother's name was also Ruth and she was quite put out by sharing her name with a slimy critter... I also didn't have the heart to tell her that, in the book, Ruth is a BOY dragon!).

The world of Pern was created by the late Anne McCaffrey, who sadly left us in November of 2011. The entire world is based on a group of human colonists from earth and how their culture develops as they settle their new home. Everything seems perfect with their new home until they discover the menacing Thread which is an organism that falls from the sky and eats everything biological in its path! Genetisists create the dragons out of a smaller life form that exists in the natural ecosystem of Pern, and these are used to combat the Thread. The story begins hundreds of years later when all technology is lost and only stories remain of the original landing of the settlers.

I recently began re-reading the series in anticipation of a movie that is scheduled to go into production sometime this year. You can read more about the movie here, but so far I'm very excited. Some small part of me knows that the world of Pern on the big screen could never be as wonderous as in my imagination, but I can't help feeling like a little kid at Christmas to see my childhood fantasies come to life.

If you are not a science fiction / fantasy geek like me, I encourage you to read them anyway. If for no other reason than to appreciate the enourmous talent and descriptive literatary genious that was Anne McCaffrey. The world is a darker place without her, but she will live on in our imaginations.

P.S. ----> Anne, if you can hear this - please let Santa know that I still would very much like a dragon for Christmas, a Queen if he can manage it, but I'm not picky.

Love Jewels

The Room

I downloaded this book on my kindle, not knowing much about it, and let me tell you, am I ever glad I did. The entire premise of the story is just brilliant. I started reading it in the bath the other night, and then 3 hours later I sneezed and finally noticed that the water had gone cold some time ago and that I had totally lost touch with reality - It's that good.

The plot takes place around a boy, whose entire existence is the 11x11 square foot room he was born in. His mother has been a captive there for the last seven years and has raised him solely using the few books she has and her memory. I won't tell you much more and spoil it for you but the amount of detail the author gives in the telling of this wonderful but dark story makes the characters become a part of you as you read it. I couldn't go to sleep until I had finished the last page.

The ramifications of such a childhood are endless. Every time I think about the world that the author had to dream up I'm amazed. It is a heart-warming story about a mothers love for her child, and how she will stop at nothing to make sure that child is safe, secure and happy.

Have you read it?

Apple Chiffon Cake

I was going to make blueberry cobbler today, but discovered I only had 4 cups of blueberries, not 6. I did however, have 2 delicious looking apples and made this:

It looked better before we ate half of it.

Apple Chiffon Cake

Cake

1/3 cup light vegetable oil

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger ( I was out so I substitued pumkin pie spice)

1 cup finely chopped apples

Topping

2 tablespoons sugar ( i used brown sugar)

2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350F

For cake - combine oil and sugar in large bowl. beat at medium speed until mixed. Add eggs; beat well.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and ginger in small bowl. Add to oil mixture. Beat just until blended. Stir in apples. Spread in ungreased 9 inch square pan.

For Topping - combine sugar, nuts, and cinnamon in small bowl. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 min until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temp.

Mission: Purse Minimization

Last week I was reading a post about purses and the junk we keep in them over here at Carolina's called Reading Handbags. This post, of course, made me think about what I keep in my own handbag and why I keep it there. Carolina is a minimalist, while I am most definitely NOT, but greatly admire. I was going to take a picture of my purse so that you could understand the self-made chaos I battle on a daily basis, but am too embarrassed. Particularly by the jar of Dry Garlic sauce which made it in there last week (it rolled out of the grocery bag in the truck) which has STILL not made it out of my purse and into the house. So I have stolen the lovely picture of a most coveted lap-top bag, (which I really really want... imagine what I could pack in THERE) from here. If you are at all interested in girly bags you should check it out because they are exceptionally awesome, if pricey.

In my purse right now:

• 14 receipts which need to be filed with the rental stuff


• wallet - jammed with more things that need to be filed and one speeding ticket which should probably be paid soon


• 1 jar of dry garlic sauce.


• 2 household bills which need to be filed.


• random make-up that is there for emergencies which i never seem to need


• a package of pens - you never know when you'll need 3 ball point pens all at the same time


• my blackberry


• a pair of mittens


• a gift certificate for a clothing store


• a receipt book


• a recipe for cake balls (this looks really good)


• pay stub


• earrings


• hair clips\


• 3 different colours of lip gloss


• a calculator


• small bottle of Tylenol

Wow. It looks really bad when you write it all down. Its a wonder that I don't need back surgery. Why do I need all of this? I don't. Particularly the dry garlic sauce. For someone who has a purse buying addiction you'd think I'd be more organized.

I'm not even going to TELL you what's in my laptop bag.

Mission: Purse Minimization!

• Find laptop/purse combo so I can only have ONE bag full of junk instead of two.


• Clean out and file stuff that most definitely does NOT belong in said bag.


• Make spare ribs with dry garlic sauce


• put business paperwork where it belongs to make tax time a little less frantic

I have printed off this list and put it in the purse. I realize that this is probably the wrong idea, but putting it in the laptop bag practically guarantees that I'll never see it again.

What a perfect excuse to go purse shopping.

Fia The Destructor Part II

If you've been reading for a while, you've seen my earlier post about Fia's Destructive Tendencies, and you know that she is nearly the perfect dog... until you leave her alone. In an attempt to curb her destructive enthusiasm, we started crating her while we were at work. The first steel crate she had lasted 3 whole months before she bent the bars so much that she was able to climb out of the top of the crate and escape. Did I mention she was Houdini reincarnated? She has also figured out how to open every latch, clip, door, slide bar and hook in existence. Or she just eats them, you know, whatever is easier. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of the first crate. The second crate looks like this --->

She had a hard time bending the bars, (she only weighs 20lbs), so she was forced to lick and drool on them until they rusted for easier breakage. This crate also lasted 6 months and had to be wired back together several times after Houdini escaped.

I always feel guilty locking her in such a small crate. Even though that is the size the vet recommends she has and says it's perfectly fine. To ease my guilt, hubby suggested we buy a gate for the downstairs "closet" and she could stay in there. The "closet" is the full length of the den and 6 and a half feet wide. I felt much better about this. I could envision her playing with her toys and having a gay ole' time while we were at work.

On day one, she figured out how to work the gate latch, which is pretty impressive considering it's 4 feet of the ground and she is less than 2 feet high. We then used a clip, like you would see on a dog leash, to secure the lock. She ate that on day 2. We then wired together the latch. She couldn't quite figure that one out so on day 3 she just ate a hole right through the chain link fence material on the gate. It isn't plastic either.

Hubby wired the hole closed in the brand new $75 gate and we tried again. Nothing happened for several days. It was then that we noticed dry wall dust on the carpet and took a look inside the crate. She had been scratching at the wall to try to open the door. Luckily our new wired latch seemed to be holding. About 2 weeks in she figured out that if she tried hard enough, she could jump over the 4 ft high gate, so hubby secured a piece of plywood over top to keep her in.

At this point I'm just frustrated. I love the dog dearly, but am terrified that she will eat the whole house when we're gone.

Last week I left work early because Fia had a vet appointment. I opened the front door and there she was, tail wagging, with a big, excuse the expression, shit-eating grin. I went down stairs to see the destruction and it turns out she had become frustrated with trying to escape through the gate and decided to eat her way through the wall. She had eaten through not one, but TWO layers of drywall. There was a little pile of drywall dogie puke sitting on the carpet, and her feet were covered in dust. Good thing we were going to the vet.

I was already running late and didn't have time to clean her up so we jumped into the truck and rushed over. The vet looked at her drywall caked feet, and looked at me as if to say, "what the hell have you been doing to this dog!" I carefully explained the entire story, including the reason for the crating. Halfway into the story he started to look sympathetic. By the time I was done he was shaking his head and his mouth was hanging open. "What should I do?" I asked. He looked at me, scratched his head, and said, "normally I would never suggest this, but have you thought about tranquilizers?"

Not excited about having a dog who was stoned all the time, I went home without the drugs. Hubby went to Home Depot and bought some plywood to cover all the walls inside the crate. She is continuing to eat holes in the gate and escaped again today. Hubby will go back to Home Depot and find something to cover the door.

It started out so nice. A pretty little gate, and a nice clean kennel. Now it looks like Dr Frankenstein bought a house and this is what happened.

Note how she somehow managed to eat the edge of the carpet, and bend the little Simpson's Fence sign from INSIDE the kennel. Suggestions, anyone?

She doesn't LOOK like Houdini, does she?

I am such a 6 year old

Parents of the year bought The Boy the best gift ever. Skylanders! A better photographer would have taken a picture of the Christmas excitement or the actual present, but I took this --->

The boy brought skylanders over when he visited last weekend. On Friday night we watched him play a bit, and it looked like good fun, but I was happy when it was time to turn it off and we could move on to other things. Saturday morning, The Boy got up early and spent the morning patiently chatting with me while I fixed breakfast, and then tentatively asked.. "do you want to come and play Skylanders with me? You can play with two players!" Super unexcited but happy he wanted to spend time together, I went with him. 15 minutes later I was hooked. 4 hours later hubby came down stairs to say it was lunch time and to ask us if we planned on eating... 5 hours later we took a break to run to walmart and get more Skylanders so we could get more stuff in the game. At 10 we guiltily went upstairs to find Hubby... it was New Years Eve after all! All my careful planning for games and fun went down the tubes as we had blown the whole day playing video games. However, I have never seen ANYTHING hold The Boy`s attention for this long. Not even the precious IPOD.

Sunday morning we got up and played until he had to leave, taking the game with him. I`ve been in withdrawel ever since.

What the heck is a Skylander you ask? It`s this ---»

I tried to go buy one for myself, but they are sold out all over the place. I am patiently waiting for the boy to come back on Friday... so I can play with his toys!

A Present For Me? You Shouldn't Have!

I love Christmas. I've always loved Christmas. I still can't sleep on Christmas Eve, and I still wake up way too early on Christmas morning. No one, however, loves Christmas more than Fia.

This is her opening her present from Hubby's parents on Christmas morning. I thought it silly, at first, to wrap presents for the dog, but after watching her hilarious display of excitement I am a reformed pet owner. She somehow knows that the presents are not to be touched until she's told to, even though I'm sure the rawhide treats smell delicious through the wrapping paper. She carefully pulls the wrapping paper off in pieces to get to her treat. It's like watching a four year old open toys. The look of betrayal when you take the whole package away after she's done opening it and only give her one piece back is priceless. Like she won the lottery and then had to split it with 50 other people. If she was a person I would explain to her that eating 30 rawhide sticks all at once would make her sick, but this is the dog that will eat anything. She even likes broccoli. And onions.

I realize now that I am slowly becoming one of those pet owners that treats their dog like people (you know, those ones that I usually make fun of). However, I draw the line at dogie clothes. That's just ridiculous.