Herodotus

I finally found it.
I was on vacation, at the beach.
We stopped by a quaint gift shop.
I always end up in the back with the dusty musty bookshelves.
Always.
And there they were.....

 

A complete volume of Herodotus.
This collection was beautiful... no magnificient. The books were weathered, old, the covers completely fallen apart. This was what I've been looking for.
Such a precious treasure. There was history in these pages. There was a soul that lived inside it.
It had stories to tell me.
We would spend the years together ships passing in the night for decades.
Then when the house has quieted, and I've retired, they'll be waiting for me.
We'll spend long nights by the fireplace.
It will be splendid!

I brought volume one up to the counter to ask for the price.

I died.

I dare not publish how much she asked for it.
It was way too expensive.

Alas. Another day.. another time.. another life..
.. till we meet again.....

Book Review: Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The best parts of this book:
(Actually there are a TON of my favorites but they would all be spoilers.)

"'Oh no, It costs a lot more than your life. To murder innocent people?' says Peeta. 'It costs everything you are.'"

"The damage, the fatigue, the imperfections. That's how they recognize me, why I belong to them."

"And suddenly, it's as if there's no one in the world but these two, crashing through space to reach each other. They collide, enfold, lose their balance, and slam against a wall, where they stay. Clinging into one being. Indivisible."

"I am Cinna's bird, ignited, flying frantically to escape something inescapable. The feathers of flame that grow from my body. Beating its wings only fans the blaze. I consume myself, but to no end."

"All around the dining hall, you can feel the rejuvenating effect that a good meal can bring on. The way it can make people kinder, funnier, more optimistic, and remind them it's not a mistake to go on living. It's better than any medicine. "

Personal Notes:
This was amazing. I see some disturbing similiarities in our world. Overall, I feel like I'm a better person for reading this book. I would have chosen a different path...but I think Katniss chose well also. Sometimes there's no right, there's no wrong, there just is. Compelling piece of literature.

Book Review: Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

The best parts of this book:

"I hunt. He bakes. Haymitch drinks."

"I tell him everything. About the president's visit, about Gale, about how we're all going to die if I fail.
   His face sobers, grows older in the glow of the red taillights. 'Then you can't fail.'"

"We manage the darkness as we did in the arena, wrapped in each other's arms, gaurding against dangers that can descend at any moment."

"I ball up the front of my shirt, stuff it into my mouth, and begin to scream. How long this continues, I don't know. But when I stop, my voice is almost gone."

"Now a new confidence is lighting up inside of me, because I think I finally know who Haymitch is. And I'm beginning to know who I am."

Personal notes:
Sequels usually don't live up to the original. This one does and exceeds all expectations.
Remarkable work.
Again.. BRAVO!

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

"She looks up at me, holds out a piece of paper, and says, 'Look, Henry, she wrote me a poem.' As I sit beside Clare and read the poem I forgive Lucille, a little, for her colossal selfishness and her monstrous dying, and I look up at Clare. 'It's beautiful.' I say, and she nods, satisfied for a moment that her mother really did love her. I think about my mother singing lieder after lunch on a summer afternoon, smiling at our reflection in a shop window, twirling in a blue dress across the floor of her dressing room. She loved me. I never questioned her love. Lucille was changeable as wind. The poem Clare holds is evidence, immutable, undeniable, a snapshot of an emotion. I look around at the pools of paper on the floor and I am relieved that something in this mess has risen to the surface to be Clare's lifeboat. "

This is one of the FEW books in which I come back to and reread.
It's an amazing piece of literature. AMAZING!

The only other book I reread is To Kill A Mockingbird. For me to allow another book in this realm is a cosmic shift in the universe. To Kill A Mockingbird is sacred, hallowed ground.

Every so often, my mind is scattered, rendered useless. I gravitate toward something to read to stabilize me. The other day I picked up Time Traveler's Wife again and I was riveted all over again. So much detail. I was Clare. Sometimes I am Henry. Everytime I stop by for a visit, I find a new jewel such as the quote above and my soul is restored.

Review: God on the Streets of Gotham

God on the Streets of Gotham:

Many thanks to Tyndale Publishers for providing me a complimentary copy of:

God on the Streets of Gotham by Paul Asay

The best parts of this book:

“The images we see affect us in ways both overt and subtle, and we might not ever notice that these things are influencing us at all.”

“He is a product of a fallen world even as he strives to rise above it.”

“I wonder sometimes if the reason why some of us hate to be still or alone is that in the quiet of our own thoughts we find ourselves facing the darkness within- unmasked, inconsistent with the person we wish to be.”

“Our God is a storyteller. And the best stories often don’t make sense to readers until the very end.”

“And when we love, we leave ourselves open to the worst sort of loss.”

“He simply knew what he had to do… and did it.”

Personal Reflections:

I can always tell when the enemy is thwarting me from God’s will.

In the midst of reading this book, I was riveted, intrigued, had many AHA! moments.

The next day, it seemed my brain got all cloudy. I knew I needed to finish reading this book, but there was always something else to do. At times the book was left at the office or it was too much work to get it from the car. The minute I thought about reading I would suddenly get tired and listless. I knew the enemy was working. It was a difficult battle to finish reading.

What I gained from the experience was a powerful understanding of the great mind we’ve been given.

The creative force that can drive us.

When the mind is focused, no evil, no matter how strong, can extinguish its power.

My mind these days is scattered. I never know what to do next. So many lists, so little time. It makes me an easy target. I am easily swayed by the opinions of friends, emails I read, images I allow in my brain.

I have goals, no drive.

Fear has left me bereft of everything good.

Nothing propels me out of bed in the morning.

Focus is key.

Something that will fire me up.

Passion.

This book gave me some great feedback of what I am lacking through the use of Batman as an analogy. It was a good running start.

Now.must.focus.

I am batman.

(Sorry, couldn’t help it).

Rattle this cage

There are moments when I’m dying to write.

But I know the piece I produce will hurt.

So I internalize, deal with my sad, repressed state.

Every so often I just want to throw things.

Rattle this cage.

Howl.

Roar.

Growl.



William John Huggins
A Lion



Unfortunately, I emit in other ways.

In rolling my eyes,

In offhanded remarks

In my looks of contempt.

Disappointment written all over my face.



William John Huggins
A Tiger and a Serpent



In the end, I hurt them anyways.

The words were never said.

But my language is never clearer than when I’m trying so hard not to speak.

Make my own font. Check

Today I accomplished something on my Life List!
I made my handwriting into a font!
I love Pinterest! Love it!
Thank you Pinterest. Thank you MyScriptFont.com
Thank you!!

All you do, go to MyScriptFont.com,

Download the template.
Fill it out using a medium thick pen.

Scan and upload the finished document.
Name it, Submit it and TA-DA!!!

Follow the directions to save it and your handwriting is a FONT!

Banana Caramel Pie

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Today I bring you a special treat: MY FAMOUS BANANA CARAMEL PIE recipe.
It's delicious, decadent, amazeballs!!! It's only four ingredients.

My obsession with this pie started in Natchez, MS when I ate at Mammy's Cupboard. I ordered a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (which was to die for!) and the banana caramel pie.
The pie was out of this world! Sooooo good. I had dreams about it weeks after I enjoyed it.

I set out on a mission to find that recipe or come close to it.

I found it.

It's easy, amazing and a huge hit! People will think you are an extraordinary baker. But there's no oven involved in this..

Ready?

Here are the four ingredients:

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand all the way!)
3-4 bananas (we use four, make sure the tops are green)

1 (9 in) prepared Nilla pie crust (or graham cracker crust is fine if you can't find the Nilla pie crust)

 1 (12 oz) container of Cool Whip or frozen whipped topping, thawed

Why HEB doesn't know to stockpile the Cool Whip and my Nilla pie crust the day before a holiday is beyond me! Don't they know I'm going to shop at the absolute last minute!

Moving on..

1. Take the label off the can of sweetened condensed milk. Submerge it into a pot of water. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 4 hours. Ensure there is always water in the pan. Remove can from heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes...
         OR put the can in a crockpot of water and put it on low for 6 hours or overnight.

2. Carefully open can of caramel and pour  into pie crust. Slice bananas lengthwise over the top and top with Cool Whip. Refridgerate until you're ready to serve.

You will never be the same after this..

Dance

Dance:

It’s the moment I catch your eye across the room

The look

The smile

The quick glance away.

We do a dance toward each other

In a smoke filled room

Amongst drones of people

Looking to connect.

Slowly working the crowd,

Finding our way to each other

Awkward moment. Tense smiles

Eyes everywhere but here.

Is this it?

Is this the moment that I will tell my grandchildren about?

The one that I will remember fondly 50 years from now?

Or is it a fleeting romance?

One that will break my heart

Turn me inside out

Desperate to stay here in this empty room

By myself.

RISK

It's time for 5 Minute Friday!

Today's prompt: RISK

So I was getting my Pinterest fix this morning when this one caught my eye.

It’s so true. There is so much that I tend to hide, so much of my life has been an act. It’s frankly exhausting.

I find solace and truth either when I’m alone and I can be my silly goofy self or when I’m amongst my closest dearest friends whom I love dearly and never feel the need to impress. I think about how many other missed opportunities there were in the past when I committed the act of trying to be normal and ordinary- to be accepted; only to be disengaged, sad, left out of the invite list.

I want to be more myself everywhere. I’m so tired of this act, this face I put on for the world. THE WORLD? I was made for better things.

It’s time that I risk being the person I was made to be: goofy and all. And for those that think of me as weird and kind of a nut: whatever.