So, picked S up at the airport at noonish on Friday. Poor guy, he’s exhausted so here we are at home on a Saturday, no Paris or Madrid for us. Did I mention that Madrid was the original plan for this weekend. Yikes. But S is swamped with work. Between time off for language and all the travel, the rest of the job is piling up. So, I’m sitting in bed blogging and watching Harry Potter on DVD and S is working. I’m not too terribly disappointed though. It’s the perfect day to sit in bed, watch movies, blog and have tea and biscuits.
(S read my blog about the Walkers shortbread and he picked some up for me at the airport in Amsterdam on his way home. Isn’t he grand!)
It is the perfect day for laziness, because after a few very warm and very sunny days, it is once again cold and raining. God you gotta love spring.
So after a breakfast of French toast and coffee in bed (S procrastinating) he is now fixing me some tea and biscuits. (S procrastinating) What more could a girl want. I could get used to this life.
All I’ve got for you today is more book reviews.
My brother recommended The Partly Cloudy Patriot By Sarah Vowell and I loved it. Mind you not a book for any of our Republican friends. There are some great family anecdotes about her parents and her twin sister. The twin part was hilarious. Sarah Vowell is actually a political/historical buff. The book contains a ‘letter’ to President Clinton with recommendations on the best contents for his presidential library and advise on how to handle the scandel. There is also a ‘letter’ to Al Gore telling him what the focus of his campaign should have been. The book was written just after GWB stole the election in 2000 and she and a group of friends find themselves at the inauguration. She also has a great love for President Lincoln and there are several great stories about his life and writings. The book is filled with great political commentary and humor I highly recommend it. Even better though is the Audio Book version because she performs it herself and she has a memorable voice.
Once again indulging my love for children’s books and feeling a void in that department after the three Artemis Fowl books, I read the Philip Pullman His Dark Materials trilogy. The series starts with The Golden Compass which is absolutely fabulous, full of courage and good vs. evil conflicts and magic. The next two books however The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass did not, in my opinion, live up to the first book. By the end of the third book you’re left feeling cheated. There is enough going on the story to really cover 5 books and some of it is left unexplained and skeletal. Snippets of story, characters introduced but left un-built. I was a little disappointed with the last book especially. There appears to be too much action and not enough detail. I read all three books however so I could get to the final conclusion which also leaves you a bit flat but at least it is plausible and real.
Between that and French I’ve fallen behind on my Newsweek reading and will attempt to read three weeks worth this weekend. Not that I’m terribly behind on news since I do get to watch ABC nightly news (albeit a day behind) on the computer. I would prefer NBC news but they don’t offer the full nightly program on-line like ABC does. But I like to read the financial perspectives and in depth articles about the world and its leaders.
Meanwhile, here the almond tree blossoms are constantly blowing through the air creating a fragrant ‘snow’ storm. The cherry trees are heavier than ever with buds but seem to be waiting for the opportune moment to show off. Maybe they’re waiting for the almonds to be done with their grandstanding completely so that they can make a far more beautiful and undistracted display of their own. Whatever the case I am impatiently waiting for the cherry tree that is right in front of my bedroom window to get on with it already. The tree itself is large and beautiful in its winter austerity so I know that its spring time display will be breath taking. I’ll snap a photo as soon as it decides the time is right.
