Several decisions were made around here yesterday – 2 bookish/ blog related…. one random.
First of all let me just say that it is that with a heavy heart that I finally had to realize that Laptop is not going to fully recover. Our time now is short…. he has brief moments of being coherent – and then his screen goes black. So…. yesterday I went out to Best Buy and came home with….
"Asus" (ah- zuess)
Meet Asus. He is new to the family and yesterday we spent a lot (A LOT) of time together transferring pics and files off of Laptop when Laptop cooperated. I was going in with my heart set on a Dell (I am pretty brand loyal) but this guy was right around the same price and I liked his keyboard, size, and shape better. Here is hoping we have a long and happy life together.
Second decision of yesterday…. you may remember last week I mentioned for the BEA nominations I was nominated for Best Audio Book Blog and Best Eclectic Book Blog. Both very exciting! 😛 BUT – I had to choose and finally decided to go with Audio blog as I have become a bigger and bigger advocate of audio over the past couple of years. It was fun to choose the posts and we will see what happens… it was fun to be nominated. 😀
Finally – the third decision was hubby Al’s and that was what movie we seen yesterday afternoon. He wanted to see either Conan The Barbarian or Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. (UGH…. to both)…. I craved a little girly movie or comedy but he rarely chooses the movie so off we went, a smile planted firmly on my face as we went and discovered – Conan had started 30 minutes earlier than what it said online so – Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes it was. Turns out…. it was pretty good. Sad in that “abused animal” sort of way, but good.
Ok – off to get things done. I have two audio finishing today and at least two books… possibly three. 😀(Oh, and this is the first post written on Asus.) 😛
Good morning! I am home… home at last 🙂I am a little tired, a little whelmed, and I have a lot to do. 😀
This morning for the Saturday Snapshot, I thought I would share a little bit with you about the camp I was just at and what I did all week. The camp was Camp Benedict. It is the camp I ride the CBC ride I rode a few weeks ago for, and it is the camp organized by Connie, whose story I am writing.
My reason for going to camp was to see Connie in action. She has run this camp for 17 years for people and families who are touched by HIV/AIDS. My attending, I felt was really going to help me see the world through Connie’s eyes…
and it really did.
When the board accepted me going last winter I was excited and then as it got closer… a little nervous. I had an idea of what camp would be like and the people who attended. Let me say this out loud – I was wrong.
Camp was….
incredible.
I arrived Monday afternoon and was settled into my room for the week.
Me - ready to camp 🙂Where I stayedA view from camp
Everyone arrived by Monday late afternoon. A bus brought people from all over Minnesota. Connie provides the camp for free to the “campers” (as we are called all week long 😛 ). She does not want the week to be a financial burden on anyone.
Monday evening we had about 200 pictures placed on the floor of the main lodge. We were each asked to pick up two pictures that spoke to us. I chose:
Some of the pictures on the floorThe two pictures I chose
Then we each had to say our name, what the two pictures made us feel – and how we were feeling right now at the beginning of camp. It was interesting that most of the people there were nervous, or unsure of what to expect. The picture responses were amazing what people seen in them… responses ranged from feeling on inadequacy, to missing a parent or loved one, to feelings of despair, loneliness, imprisoned, to hopefulness, dreams…
by the end of the night… I was a mess between sweet bouts of laughter, to times of tears. (I joked with one of the nurses that I thought I was bipolar…. laughing, than crying, than laughing again…. 😛 )
On Tuesday – a doctor Bill (I have his card somewhere) had a session on the pills that everyone is taking. It was very interesting to hear about the different combinations, what they each do and changes to the combinations to work better for some people. I think everyone got a lot out of this session including me.
Afternoons are free time – there were opportunities to work on your Affirmation boxes (which I loved!), an hour-long pontoon ride to a Dairy Queen, and horse back riding.
The first afternoon I worked on my Affirmation box. We were each asked to make these and then throughout the week we each put an affirmation in the others boxes of something we noticed in them…. (Ie. we appreciated their honesty, they are strong, incredible speaker…)
Affirmation BoxesMy random work station
On Wednesday morning – we had a fun morning session of Yoga and stretching on the ball. Russ led this group and did an amazing job!
prepping for the morning classRuss - teaching the stretches
I love working out with the exercise ball and this was a lot of fun for everyone to try. The group was taught that there are certain moves in Yoga that can actually increase your T cell count.
Dining hall and session buildingConnie with her friend Anita on the pontoon to the Dairy Queen!
In the evenings we hung out and talked or there were group sessions. On Wednesday evening I sat in on the women’s session which was amazing. The women shared hurts and strengths – and some who felt isolated, now have found positive ways to move forward thanks to the friendships they built during the session. I left this session completely drained.
The food? Did I not mention the food yet (I should have took pictures!). The food was so good! My Fitness Pal diet was put on hold for the week…. but I am back on it now. 😀
Thursday another doctor spoke in the morning and was there mainly to answer questions about treatments, medications, etc…. I did not see all of her session as I went with Connie to watch her work with the teens who were there with their families where she did a skit of a person just diagnosed with AIDS and how heavy that can feel (she piled large books on her “patient”) as they learn how their life has just changed forever. She ends this with asking the other teens what they can do to help take the “heaviness” off their friend…. IE. being a good listener, reminding them they are loved, helping them…)
Thursday afternoon…. I went horse back riding. 😛
The horsesConnie on her horseMe - on mine.... (his name is Apache)
Thursday night we had a ceremony were we all lit a candle and said what we got out of camp. Oh wow…. more tears…. after that a DJ came in and the kids got to do Karaoke.
Friday morning we ate, packed up – and the bus came at 11:30 am. to take everyone home. The camp staff (which were AMAZING all week long) made a pyramid for when the bus drove out of the camp. It was all pretty emotional… and I know I will never be the same from the experience.
Connie and IThe Camp Staff saying good bye!
I think most of you know why I am working with Connie and the camp, but in the event that you do not – here is my recent post on that.
Good morning. Final day at camp. Today we finish up around 11:30 am this morning, I will say good-bye to all the people I met as the bus comes to pick them up. What a week. (i plan to write a full post on the week on Saturday morning with a few pics).
As many of you know Laptop has been “going out” not for about 9 months. It started last winter, he would not turn on and I thought, “It’s over,” but then two days later – he worked again…. and this went on like this for several months… the occasional “death” and then – recovery.
Now however I fear the end is drawing near… a couple of nights ago at camp Laptop came up with the black screen of death. Oh he was on – but there was no screen…. and then – he would just shut off. He worked good yesterday – and then last night….
same thing.
Now – he does not recognize Firefox so I am blogging in Explorer (pooey!) which I have not used in years. Sadly, I may need to stop by Best Buy today to see what they have available. It has been 4 years with Laptop (my first laptop!) and they have been good ones. I hate to move on from what is comfortable, but it looks like it may be time….
*sigh*
Anyway – I need to get off to breakfast…. Oh who am I kidding…. I need COFFEE. 😛
Once I get home today I have laundry to catch up on , maybe part of the lawn… but nothing too extreme. Should be a nice quiet weekend for a change with no (NADA) commitments! 😀
A tingle arced across my scalp. The floor tipped up at me and my body spiraled away. Then I was on the ceiling looking down, waiting to see what would happen next.
Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough to die. But enough to feel the pain. Enough to feel the scream inside.
Now she’s at Sea Pines, a “residential treatment facility” filled with girls struggling with problems of their own. Callie doesn’t want to have anything to do with them. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with anyone. She won’t even speak.
But Callie can only stay silent for so long….
Injuring yourself on purpose by making scratches or cuts on your body with a sharp object — enough to break the skin and make it bleed — is called cutting. Cutting is a type of self-injury, or SI. Most people who cut are girls, but guys self-injure, too. People who cut usually start cutting in their young teens. Some continue to cut into adulthood.
How interesting that I recently finished After by Amy Efaw, and find myself right back in a girls treatment facility with this book….. hmmm…. 😛
Cut is a book I have been wanting to read for quite a while. When I first heard about it I was wondering what a book with the subject of cutting would be like. With the same YA draw about teen issues as SPEAK had, I was pulled into this story about Callie and the reason she cuts.
This book is told from Callie’s perspective and much of the dialogue is her thoughts as for most of the book…. Callie does not speak… not to the other girls, not to the doctor and nurses, and not to her therapist. While she does as she is told, she does nothing verbal.
The girls in the facility (the facility is called Sea Pines, but the girls call it “Sick Minds”) have mixed reasons for being there. Some have eating disorders, depression, substance abuse… yet until Amanda comes, there are no other girls who cut. Amanda plays a bigger role in this book then you would at first think. Although she enters late, her being there for the same reason as Callie is huge, and really a step in the right direction for Callie’s start to recovery.
I found this book to be a fairly quick read – while small is size, it packs in a wallop of a topic that is big for teens. The book had an impact but not as big of one as I had originally thought I was going to experience pre- read. It was fast, interesting, and hopefully it speaks to anyone who cuts.
*On a more person note, I have an acquaintance that cuts. As a Kinship Partner, I am also a mandatory reporter and therefore must report any activity I notice or may suspect that could be harmful to a child or to oneself. This acquaintance was my first real experience with cutting and I did not understand why someone would do this to themselves.
When I spoke to her about it she explained that she had been physically abused as a child…. with such turmoil and fear in her life at a young age, she took to cutting because she said she had no other way to release the pain. Cutting – hurt her, but at the same time was release as she had control over the pain.
This was how I began to understand the need for some to cut.
Good morning from Camp (day 4). I feel pretty good (even though I have not ventured out of my room yet for coffee…) 😛
Yesterday we had a morning Yoga session and worked with the exercise ball – that was fun! Yesterday afternoon we went on a pontoon ride, so while I am here writing…. it’s not all work and no play! 😀
Today is our last full day at camp and while I have really enjoyed being here and meeting everyone and learning SO MUCH, it will be nice to get home tomorrow afternoon and get back into a normal routine like catching up on my blog reading! 😀
Speaking of reading – I am doing some of that too. I have been reading In The Sea There Are Crocodiles in the afternoon, and at night I have been reading Escape by Barbara Delinsky. Both are pretty decent reads.
and even being away – I am still reading emails and still coveting books that are coming to my attention…currently I have two that are drawing my interest.
In a Balkan country mending from years of conflict, Natalia, a young doctor, arrives on a mission of mercy at an orphanage by the sea. By the time she and her lifelong friend Zóra begin to inoculate the children there, she feels age-old superstitions and secrets gathering everywhere around her. Secrets her outwardly cheerful hosts have chosen not to tell her. Secrets involving the strange family digging for something in the surrounding vineyards. Secrets hidden in the landscape itself.
But Natalia is also confronting a private, hurtful mystery of her own: the inexplicable circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. After telling her grandmother that he was on his way to meet Natalia, he instead set off for a ramshackle settlement none of their family had ever heard of and died there alone. A famed physician, her grandfather must have known that he was too ill to travel. Why he left home becomes a riddle Natalia is compelled to unravel.
Grief struck and searching for clues to her grandfather’s final state of mind, she turns to the stories he told her when she was a child.
and suddenly this series has my eye…. and looks like I have some catching up to do…
As a world-ending war surges around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches. And as the ceaseless Noise lays all thoughts bare, the projected will of the few threatens to overwhelm the desperate desire of the many. The consequences of each action, each word, are unspeakably vast: To follow a tyrant or a terrorist? To save the life of the one you love most, or thousands of strangers? To believe in redemption, or assume it is lost? Becoming adults amid the turmoil, Todd and Viola question all they have known, racing through horror and outrage toward a shocking finale.
This second book is not out until mid September but there are two books in front of it – the first of which, The Knife Of Never Letting Go, I think I have. I will check that out when I get home.
Have a great day everyone – time for me to get up and be social…. and yeah…. I really need my coffee. 😛
In the early 1960’s, Jackson Mississippi was a community of white women who ran charity events, and ran their help. The “help” were their African-American maids who cooked and cleaned and raised the white children so the white women of Jackson could play bridge, have coat drives, and complain about their heavy word load.
Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, a young woman fresh out of college comes home to Jackson to live with her mom who is sick and her father. Skeeter attends the bridge meetings and hangs with what is considered Jackson’s elite, especially Hilly, leader of the pack – and the coalition for every home in Jackson to have a separate bathroom installed for “the help” as after all as Hilly would say, “they carry different diseases than us, and we must protect our children!”
Skeeter, is appalled by the way the black women are treated and decided to write a book giving the maids (Help’s) perspective on how they feel they are treated, from raising the kids (who will later become their boss), to wages, and what they think is unfair.
Needless to say – none of the black women jump at the chance to speak first.
Enter the wonderful Abilene, she cooks, she cleans, she has raised many a white child… and finally she has something to say. As Skeeter and Abilene have secret meetings at Abilene’s home were Abiline talks ad Skeeter writes, eventually the feisty and hilarious Minnie joins in with her stories.
The result is an incredible story about faith, trust, and blowing up a small town. 😛
Skeeter.... making a few changes....
I am believing that if you have not read the book or seen the movie – you at least have heard about the phenomenon that is “The Help”. Currently at the movie theaters (I have seen it twice!) I would suggest you run – don’t walk, to get your ticket!
I read this book in late 2009 and wanted the refresher of the audio with the movie coming out. I had heard some buzzing about the fact that the movie was different from the book and from my foggy recollection I was thinking of very few differences but of course, this recent listen of the audio has now refreshed my memory…. HOWEVER – both…. are awesome… yes there are some differences, but I still feel it held true to the main story.
If you enjoy good audio – you must listen to The Help… (yes, Laurel…. maybe even you 😉 ). The narrators are fantastic! The woman who reads the part of Minnie… also plays her in the movie! Seriously great stuff! I can not rave this one up enough!
The Help is so good that I do not care how you get it in (book, audio, movie) – but you must!!!
Good morning! I am on day three at camp. I can not believe it has been three days already. Yesterday I sat in on a really good talk about medications, I really took away a lot of notes on that. Today we have a morning class on Yoga and relaxation techniques and this afternoon, I am going with a group by pontoon to the Dairy Queen. 😛 The weather has been beautiful! I plan to write a full fledged recap on Saturday – with pictures.
This morning this funny little video was in my e mail:
I recently read this article about top paid authors and was a little surprised at where some of them fell.
The newly released Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid authors may include the usual suspects, but their wages can still be as shocking as a cleverly conceived plot twist. James Patterson topped this year’s list, earning $84 million between May 2010 and April 2011, up from $70 million the year before. Stephenie Meyer banked $21 million, half of her $41 million the previous year. J.K. Rowling made “only” $5 million, but the launch of Pottermore will likely alter that situation dramatically. The top earning authors were:
James Patterson ($84 million)
Danielle Steel ($35 million)
Stephen King ($28 million)
Janet Evanovich ($22 million)
Stephenie Meyer ($21 million)
Rick Riordan ($21 million)
Dean Koontz ($19 million)
John Grisham ($18 million)
Jeff Kinney ($17 million)
Nicholas Sparks ($16 million)
Ken Follett ($14 million)
Suzanne Collins ($10 million)
J.K. Rowling ($5 million)
Do any of these surprise you? I guess I would have thought J K Rowling would be higher up on this list. And… I have to admit, I have never heard of Jeff Kinney who falls in the place of #9.
How could this happen? Who would do such a thing? These are the questions that surround the new-born baby that was found tied in a trash bag in the dumpster.
This certainly could not be Devon Davenport, a straight A student, exceptional athlete, and girl with a plan. Yet, when the police find Devon she is bleeding heavily, and when rushed to the emergency room it is confirmed that she has just given birth. Soon Devon finds her self thrown into a Juvenal criminal facility and being charged with attempted murder. As police and lawyers talk to her, tell her she must tell the truth… Devon has to admit that she doesn’t remember what happened.
Is Devon in fact dealing with such trauma that she truly can not recall what happened… or is this just a brilliant ploy to get off the hook…
I listened to this audio because I had heard raves about the book. The subject matter interested me…. a baby left in a dumpster…. a teen so distraught, she does not even realize for most of the book that the baby is hers.
I know many people loved this book, but I have to say I was not one of them. As well written as this book was, it didn’t hold true for me. I could not believe that a girl like Devin, described as a straight “A” student, obviously intelligent, and strong-minded – had no idea she was pregnant. I know that the power of the mind can be strong, but the physical changes to her body…
And if that is worth arguing about by those who loved the book, and feel that it is possible to put yourself into such a state of denial…. then I will add this…
The fact that Devin refers to the baby throughout the whole book as “it”….. drove me nuts!
Maybe it was the audio version but Devin just was not engaged in what she had done, even as she began to remember she still did not seem to connect that the baby was a human life…. I don’t know… I am still a little frustrated about it.
I enjoyed the part with Devin in the correctional institute. I liked the correspondence between the girls, this is where the book excels. Amy Efaw really captures the things that the girls are dealing with and how they defend themselves from society. Its sad, really.
I think that in the end, no matter what Devin’s circumstances (I wont even go into my thoughts about the mother) were a major concern and the audio made me angry more than anything. The ending is all a little too neat…. and as the final words were said… I was left with a feeling of “huh?”
If you would like to give this audio a try – leave a comment here letting me know… I will have a drawing later this week … and offer it up to someone.
I am at camp this week…. up early for a bike ride to start my morning before every one else gets up. 😀 I figure I can get in a little exercise this week so brought my bike.
Here is where I need your help. I have made the long list in the 2011 BBAW Awards in the following niche categories:
Best Audiobook Blog
Best Eclectic Book Blog
SSSSQQQUUUEEEEE!!!! Really, thank you, that is exciting 😀
Now I can only move forward in one category. I do LOVE LOVE LOVE audio and promote it to no end here…. but know a few other blogs that are super audio blogs too…. even more so than my own. I know I am an eclectic blog and love to read diverse styles of books. So the questions lies with…. which one do I go forward with?
Please let me know your thoughts and they will be taken into consideration. Just when I think I have chosen…. my head goes the other way…. 😛
Thank you in advance for your help.
As for camp day one…. awesome. I really thought it might be a bit scary, but really….. everyone is soooooo nice. Already I have laughed and cried several times….
Also – on another note….. it is not too late to sign up for a Blogger interview swap for BBAW week. Trust me, this is a lot of fun.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. I offer a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment telling me how many you visited. **You do not have to have a blog to participate! You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.
In case you wonder why I offer a book giveaway for those who visit others who do this meme, it is because I LOVE community. Book Blogging is all about sharing our love for books with one another. By visiting some of the other participants – you never know where you may find that next awesome read – or a blog that becomes one that you want to read more often.
Welcome to the 101st It’s Monday What Are You Reading post! Last week we celebrated the big 100 with a couple bonus giveaways…. here are the winners from that:
Pretty pathetic week… I was reading, just not big chunks. Of course now, I have three reviews to write and two more about finished. That said – here is what I am treating myself to this week: (Click on the cover to see descriptions)
*I have listened to this entire series by Patterson on audio and love these books – this story line of Michael Bennett (cop) and his 10 (yup 10!) adopted children …. seriously – check these audio out!
* It pained me to read a book with the word “winter” in its title this time of year…. but I heard good things about this and the audio was on sale at Amazon.
As for books….I am still (still still still…. ) catching up on books from the past couple of weeks so I am going to stick with that. This week I am at a Camp for people with AIDS. If you are curious about what in the world is Sheila doing at an AIDS camp…. check out the story here. I will be at camp from Monday morning through Friday morning. I am taking along my IPOD with books on it, my NOOK, a book or two, and of course Laptop so I will be in communication all week and I will keep you updated.
Right now though I am so excited to see what you are reading! Connect to this meme by adding your It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where it says click here. Have an awesome week!!! 😀
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