Sunday Book Review

This was the first Jodi Picoult book I've read and it'll not be the last.

This book was written in the first perspective throughout and would switch from one character to another each chapter. Now this sounds like it would get confusing, but it actually almost makes it easier to read. The story progresses with each persons narrative and flows seamlessly along, whilst giving you all viewpoints.

It deals with the sensitive issue of genetically engineering a baby to save a siblings life. Anna, the engineered child, reaches 13 years old and decides she no longer wants to participate in the endless medical procedures to save her older sister. This leads her to employ an attorney on her behalf and file against her parents for medical emancipation from them.

The story leads you through the heartrending results of her actions and truly lets you in on the awful decisions family's such as this, find themselves facing. My sympathies moved around alot between the characters as I read this book. They were so well written it was impossible not to switch my allegiances the more I read.

This book has a truly shocking ending, which I never saw coming until it was literally written on the page. My last thoughts were this would make an amazing movie. When I searched for the book image I discovered it's being made right now! Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin and Abigail Breslin (who will be amazing as Anna) will star in the movie next June. I for one will be queueing up to see it and I highly recommend this book.

Kitchen - job done!

The work in progress, which I think shows how easy and mess free these vinyl planks are to use. The dark edges on them are sticky and you just put them down like laminate and they stick to each other. The only other thing you need is double-sided carpet tape around the perimeter. It has 5 star reviews on Home Depot's site, even a year after being laid.

In this picture you can see the comparison between the old and the new flooring. We don't quite have enough to do the breakfast area, so have ordered a couple more boxes and will finish it next weekend.

The whole job took the hubster, with a little help from me, about 3 hours total! We are delighted with the results, it sets off our cabinets, updates the kitchen and is a great match for the adjoining dining room. Plus as demonstrated here, being vinyl it is pet friendly, an essential for us and the girls!

The next home project begins!

This weekend we are laying new flooring through our kitchen, and maybe the breakfast area, if the hubster doesn't run out of steam! We have lino' down from about 1983 and so it's badly in need of replacement. Originally we thought we had the same wooden flooring under it as in the dining room, but turns out it's just particle board.

In the inner hallway where the wooden floor couldn't be salvaged from the old adhesive, we used this flooring product below. They are vinyl planks made to look and feel like wooden flooring and are so easy to install. They have two sticky edges and you lay it just like laminate flooring, and there is no adhesive involved, plus it's alot cheaper and very hard-wearing. It comes with a 25yr warranty and being vinyl is not at all susceptible to water spillages or leaks, always a concern in a kitchen and with pets.

We chose the closest finish to our dining room in colour and the hallway looks great, so we are confident the kitchen will too. So that's what we're up to this weekend, and this is definitely our last home project of 2008! Be back with piccies.

Skywatch Friday

'Squirrel Nutkin!'

Caught at our squirrel feeder on the Cottonwood on Sunday. The really close-up 3rd & 5th pictures will enlarge if clicked.

If you'd like to join in, go to the Skywatch site.

7 things I do now

Continuing with the 7 things meme, this week it's 7 things I do now:

1. Battle with Graves Disease and right now it’s really becoming a battle again! For the 3rd time since diagnosis I am swinging into Hypothyroidism again, which is where everything slows down drastically. The past week I have been experiencing a rollercoaster ride with my blood pressure and this in turn stresses me! The last few months have been great as I was in normal range, but now I am tired, anxiety is creeping back in, I have no oomph and just feel low at times. Thoughts of possible surgery have even crossed my mind this past week, as being on this constant rollercoaster gets old fast.

2. Weightwatchers – because being hypo’ again also means weight gain, so I am back on the plan once again! I prefer to follow it online, as the meetings are 30mins drive from me and I also prefer the online set-up.

3. Look forward to Christmas, which is without doubt my favourite time of the year by far. Love the weather, the food, the socialising, the decorations – just love it all.

4. Blog, as a few of you may have noticed! It’s interesting to see how my blog post numbers have dropped though since I have gone back to full-time work, but I still enjoy maintaining my blog daily. I can’t believe I have now been doing this for 10-months!

5. Drink a lot of hot tea. My consumption always goes up with the cooler weather, but this year even more so after the tea shortage I had to endure for over a month! I have PG Tips in the morning and Earl Grey the rest of the day.

6. Hope fervently that President Obama will be able to bring about the changes he promised. And that the optimism his election has generated persists and people give him time. I think the whole world is ready for a change and a new style of government.

7. Continue to get frustrated with the American ‘lack’ of a healthcare system and wish someone would come up with a workable solution, that means people can afford proper healthcare without fear of bankruptcy.

Beyond a joke!

The Okie weather that is!

Yesterday we got up to 66 degrees and I was swanning around in a floaty short-sleeved summer top.

Today we have already reached our high of 36 degrees, although with a north wind of 35mph, it 'officially' feels like 24 degrees.

So that's a temperature change of 40 degrees in 24 hours, no outside recess for the kiddies today!!

Literary Meme

I was tagged for this by my blog buddy Rob in Canada. This has really taken some thought, I wanted to wait until I had all my books in my new bookcases and could make an informed decision. So after alot of deliberation, here are my choices:

What would you advise people to read? Name your favourite:

(a) Fiction book
(b) Autobiography
(c) Non-fiction book
(d) A fourth book of your choice from any genre.

Explain why the books are essential reads in no more than 30 words per book.

Fiction Book - 'Pride & Prejudice' by Jane Austen. How can you not love a book which starts with one of the most memorable passages in literary history. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife".

Autobiography - 'It's not about the Bike' by Lance Armstrong. This book is not only moving but exceptionally human. Lance pulls no punches and doesn't sugar-coat either his disease or character. It should be compulsory reading for all patients of any disease.

Non-fiction book - 'Shout' by Philip Norman - his biography of The Beatles, from the early Hamburg days to the split and beyond. It captures the spirit of hope and excitement of the sixties, whilst recounting a historic achievement by four lads from Liverpool.

Fourth book of my choice any genre - 'Charlotte Gray' by Sebastian Faulkes. Set in occupied France in 1942, this is the story of a young Scottish woman working for British Special Operations. This book is a 'tour de force' about WW2, I cried buckets.

Unsurprisingly I didn't quite manage the 30 word limit! I am going to tag the following for this meme: Lynne, Sherri, Pam and Mary.

If you'd like checkout what I have in my library, just click the picture for a close-up.

My World Tuesday

A couple of shots taken on the west and east edges of my hometown in Okieland.

This picture was taken looking from the cemetary towards the town and shows one of the many churches. It was an incredibly windy day and the clouds were quite stunning in their formation and speed of movement across the sky.

The second picture was taken at our town's artesian lake, looking from the shore to the little island, on a clear blue sky day. Our local firemen shoot our July 4th fireworks from this island, so we can enjoy the reflections over the lake.

To join in the fun go to My World Tuesday

Black Friday Haul

No not at all what you expected I'm guessing?!

We left home at 6am and headed into Texas, to hit the shopping mecca of Amarillo on Black Friday. But unlike the rest of the shoppers, we were on a very specific and militarily planned attack of specific stores only.

We only ever saw the Mall from a distance, we avoided the craziness of Kohl's et al and stayed along one strip mall where we could get everything we needed.

My main motive for going was PG Tips Tea, as I have been 'tea-less' for over a month and suffering major withdrawal symptoms! For those of you in England thinking "WHAT?". We live 3 hours from my nearest source of PG Tips, so never again take your tea supply for granted my friends! I had 3 mugs in very fast succession upon returning home.

I bought this and all my other Brit' goodies at a fabulous store called 'World Market'. As you can see I will also be knocking back a few curries, washed down with a cold pint (or three) of Guinness - utter bliss! So did any of you have me down as a Guinness lover, I'm betting not?!

We also hit Home Depot for flooring supplies and I ended the day with an hour in Pier One, all very civilised.