It's Still Working

Jackie (probably out of fear and loathing for my previous bad behavior) has sent me this wonderful award. Very apt bouquet since I just ordered another 25 Stargazer lilies from Henry Fields for $19.99. Use this link as it will take you to the special newletter offer. It's is a phenomenally good deal at 80 cents per 18 cm bulb. Cheap, cheap, cheap. I am not sure they ship overseas and the cost would probably negate any savings anyway, so I guess only my US buddies could take advantage.

Since Angela at Where Angels Go and I take turns with sitting in the corner sniffling and twirling our hair, I must pass this on to her. We must not forget all her hard work discerning our special saints for the year. My saint, Beatrice of Nazareth, has become a good friend and given me much support. Angela also deserves to have a Wonderful Woman of the Web Award from the previous post.

And now I must send this special batch of flowers to other worthy folks.

1. Tom in Vegas deserves to have flowers for being the best cyber-nephew ever.


2. Cathy of Alex - our sometimes cranky, always entertaining Dissident Catholic


3. Carolina Cannonball @the Crescat really knows how to make me think.


4. Terry Nelson @ Abby Roads needs flowers to lift his spirits and 'cause he will, no doubt, whine and whimper if he doesn't get any.


5. Karen @ Gem of the Ocean (why don't you tell us what you really think!)


6. Swiss Miss @ St. Monica's Kneeler. Swiss has had some superior posts lately. Thanks


7. Laura and Christine @ Laura's Place. Not sure why it's not called Laura and Christine's place. I guess Christine just rents.


8. Tara @ Loved Sinner. The cutest blond in cyber-space.


9. Father Longendecker, Father V., and Father Speekman. Priests should get flowers, too.


10. Kelly @ Answering the Call. This Easter Kelly will be entering the church. Welcome home, Kelly


11. Therese @ Aussie Coffee Shop who keeps us amused with her "down under" tales.


12. Paula B52 @ As We Wait in Joyfull Hope.


13. Stephanie @ Digital Hairshirt. We don't hold it against her that she is an attorney one teeny, tiny bit. Really! Just forget all those attorney jokes - they do not apply to this lady. Really?


14. Rita @ tigerish waters.


15. Katie Alender for a great writer's blog.


16. Whitestone Name Seeker - great blog

There are many more wonderful bloggers in my life like Uncle Jim who, I think, was my very first commentor. Others are not being ignored. I just know that they would as soon poke their eyes out with a plastic fork than have to deal with a meme or an award. Know that you are in my heart and my prayers.

And, finally these flowers should go to a very special blogger. Jeffery over at Roving Medievalist maintains about a gazillion photo blogs. He does this for our enjoyment and he deserves appreciation for his hard work. His blog on Russian Art is must place for me to visit every day and when new pictures are up I am a very happy camper. Frozen Music has a fresh batch of pictures up and the links on Back to Dameroshay have literally eaten up whole days for me. Fascinating!! Much time has gone into these links which are intended to inform and lift us up.

Every so often, Jeffrey graces us with a bit of scolding. I, for one, need that. Too often the blogosphere becomes mired in a certain negativity concerning the Church. When we are fed a steady diet of this, it starts to affect everything we think and do. So, Jeffrey - Thanks for your hard work and helping me keep my head screwed on straight.

Whining Works

Once again I proved to myself that whining when you think you are missing out on something actually works. Jackie (mother of this lot) over at Mother's Pride, one of my very favorite blogs, was handing this award out to just about every female blogger except, you guessed it, moi. After much simpering and wringing of my keyboard fingers (I learned all this from Angela M.) Jackie relented and graciously said, "Why of course you are wonderful."

If you haven't been to visit Mother's Pride rush over and give her a big 'ol howdy do. Tell her the whiner sent you.

Spring has Sprung

I was planning on doing a brilliant Holy Spirit 101 for my post, but gosh darn it, the weather was so outstanding today that I decided to just talk about spring.

One of my favorite things about this little part of North Idaho is how early spring comes. I’ll be out pruning trees over the next week and working in the garden by the first of April. The lilacs buds are swollen and some of my early tulips are already coming up.

This year we have had an unusual number of Cedar Waxwings flocking in our yard. By unusual number I mean over a thousand at a time and by yard I mean about 3 acres of gardens and 2 acres of fields. They love the tiny crabapples, but most of all they love the juniper berries. While watching them this morning, I discovered the reason they loved juniper berries so much was because they were inebriated. My drink of choice when I was still an active alcoholic was a martini, so I can sure understand why they would be going nuts over the junipers.

The robins have also arrived and are busy looking for places to build nests. Which brings up the subject of cats. Our Erica is quite the little bird hunter. She’s a tiny little cat but I’ve seen her snag birds that are bigger than she is. When we bought this property it didn’t have one single tree and we have planted over 200 trees in order to enjoy the birds. In trying to find a solution for this problem I stumbled onto the “CatBib”. This thing really works. Erica is happy doing her stalking thingy but she can’t catch them. The bib throws her timing off just enough so that when she actually tries to pounce, she misses.

I’ll be rushing my order off in the next few days for several more CatBibs, because sometimes her safety collar comes off and she loses her bib. Hopefully, we may be able to find last year’s bib after the snow completely melts and before the plants are completely leafed out, but if we don’t, we’ll be prepared. If you have a kitty who can’t resist going after birds, check into the CatBib. This is the Catholic cat version of social justice as seen through the eyes of the birds.

I Tried to Hide

Request for Help

My husband and I will be on our parish's newly formed Liturgical Committee. I have a pretty good grasp of the GIRM and related documents. Here's where we need the help. Since we are certain the issue of music will come up, it would be nice to have some liturgical music experts volunteer to be available for any questions we may have. In most cases it will be no more then to steer us to the correct documents or provide us with simple song lists for beginning chant, etc.

Even though my husband is a musician, we know that liturgical music is it's own category. Now I know there are musicians out there with strong, indeed brilliant, liturgical experience. I also know that you come and visit occasionally. Please, don't make me email you and beg. I hate to beg. View this as a wonderful way to stick it to some very misled church musicians and not have to experience any of the unpleasant blowback.

Any other liturgical help, whether expert or semi-expert, would also be appreciated. It would be nice to know there were a few other folks onboard to support us as we swim the deep waters of liturgy. Let me know in the com-box or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, my email is adrienne@icehouse.net.

Welcome Home

Today’s gospel reading of what is usually referred to as the Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of my favorites. Since this parable is also about the forgiveness of the father towards his wayward son, I prefer the title of The Forgiving Father.

When we focus on the son and his transgressions, our tendency is to look inward at our own transgressions. There is nothing wrong with a good inward look but not if we lose sight of the love and forgiveness of the father.

There is none among us who has not sinned, some more than others. At some point we realize that our sinful ways are not working and yearn to return home to the safety and love of our heavenly family. When we do, God is waiting with His hand held out to you. All you must do is reach out and grab hold and know that you are home.

For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.(Psalm 103:11,12)

Picture by Liz Lemon Swindle

Available from Arttown.com

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

It has come to my attention that St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Boise will be implementing liturgical dance in some of their Masses. I refuse to comment other than to urge us, once again, to pray for our priests and bishops. H/T to Dominican Idaho

Diane at te Deum Laudamus has an excellent post on the Rise in Contemplative, Monastic, Cloistered Vocations. Do yourself a favor and make this part of your Lenten reading.

“For the last forty years, we have seen a decline in Mass attendance, in the sacraments - most especially confession. In some quarters, baptized Catholics are electing not to have their babies baptized and do not encourage Confirmation. Within the Church there are disoriented theologians who are constantly trying to get the Church to follow the world.” Excerpt from Diane at te Deum Laudamus.

And, finally - Why we should sterilise teenage girls ... temporarily at least, (you'll have to scroll up for start of article) from Daily Mail in the UK. To quote my friend Jennifer who sent me this. "How sick is this?"

Good Reads

Thought I would share some posts that I found to be very good. Brian Michael Page over at Christus Vincet posted this last May on the Baltimore Catechism. I think he did a wonderful job expressing how so many of us feel about the state of catechesis.

Father John Speekman’s homily for the third Sunday of Lent is up to his usual high standards.

The Mother of this Lot (Jackie) at Mother’s Pride is one of my favorite reads. This lady graciously lets us into her life with writing that is exceptionally funny. She always brings a smile to my face.

Finally, if you haven’t had a chance to visit Kit over at By the Brook: Kit’s Commentary, take a few moments to stop by and say Hi! Kit is a lawyer but we’re not going to hold that against her. Only kidding, Kit!

Obedience

Yesterday’s readings from Mass asked us to give even more of ourselves. We are to empty ourselves in order to receive more grace, more blessings, and more of the promised gifts.

In the readings for today, God is sending us the message of obedience. We have developed a disdain for authority in this country and in our church. The Catholic Church does not run as a democracy. It has a “pecking order” and those of us who are the laity have a place and a purpose in this order.

Imagine how difficult it would be for a large company to run efficiently if all the employees decided, day by day, what position they would hold. An approach like that would lead to chaos. Eventually they would end up in a free-for-all if everyone chose the same position on any given day.

A very nice lady in Minnesota I am acquainted with just passed away at the age of 102. Every day this lovely lady went to Mass, and every day she prayed her rosary. She prayed for those in her life who may have strayed from the path that Jesus had given them. She did not criticize or complain. She understood her place in the church and her mission in the world. If the manner in which the Mass was celebrated was a concern of hers, she never said so. If her priests or Bishops, most of whom she outlived, did not perform up to her expectations, she just prayed more.

People like her are the backbone of the Church. They are obedient and prayerful. They recognize what the readings for today are saying. Walk in humility and obedience, and you can change the world. Guard your thoughts and your actions. A friend in AA is always saying, “I change me, and you get better.” That is the core of the message of Jesus.

"The greatest among you will be the one who serves the rest" Matthew 23:11

Catechism of the Catholic Church

901 "Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvelously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them. For all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit - indeed even the hardships of life if patiently born - all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Special Offer

Ignatius Press is having a special offer for Homiletic and Patoral Review. Receive 11 issues for $9.95. The usual subscription price is $26.00 so this represents quite a large savings. I know that most of us keyboard happy folk do much of our reading online, but it is nice to have portable reading material. This link will take you directly to their order page.

And, no - I don't earn anything for your orders. Just thought I would pass this along.

To quote their "about" page:

Faithful to the teachings and tradition of the Church for over a century, our readers know what to expect in each issue. Here are just some of the features of HPR:

• First-rate articles by great Catholic writers on doctrine, spiritual guidance, morality and authentic pastoral practice
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• Stimulating homilies for Sundays and Holy Days by today's outstanding preachers
• Wise and practical answers to your questions from one of the Church's top moral theologians, Msgr. William Smith

We don't bend and sway with every passing fad. Built on the solid foundation of the Catholic Church, we espouse the timeless truths of Faith that never change

And a voice came out of the cloud; saying: This is my beloved son.
Hear him.

Transformation

Today’s reading in Deuteronomy is a powerful reminder of our Lenten journey. We begin Lent with a good idea of what we want to accomplish. We have list upon list of all the things we are going to do to help us grow in holiness. Usually about this time, we come to the realization that we may have chosen to do more than we can handle.

Yet in today’s reading, we see what God has promised us. He is making an agreement with us and telling us we are to be a people peculiarly His own. He tells us to keep His commandments so He may raise us high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations. We are to be people sacred to the Lord.

God doesn’t tell us to read a certain amount of scripture each day or abstain from eating chocolate. He simply tells us to keep His commandments. The two great commandments are; love God and love our neighbor.

Reading scripture and giving up chocolate and all the other pious practices are good things to do. Far too often, however, the fundamentals of our Christian faith are ignored while we fret about what we didn’t manage to do in any given day. We become frustrated and sometimes even angry, not only with ourselves, but with others.

Past a certain point, there is nothing we can do to affect change in our lives. Inner transformation is a gift from God, originating from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Frustration, anger, and sadness block the goodness and grace of God.

As an alcoholic, I was taught how dangerous and destructive anger and resentment can be. Although others may entertain such emotions, they are deadly for an alcoholic. I believe they are deadly for everyone.

Psalm 119 – Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.

2008 Catholic Blog Awards

Thanks to Father V, Adoro, and Cathy for the Info

Nominations open today at NOON for the 2008 Catholic Blog Awards.
Nominations for the 2008 Catholic Blog Awards will open this year at 12:00 Noon CST on Friday, February 15, 2008 and close on Friday, February 29, 2008 at 12:00 Noon CST. Voting will begin on Monday, March 3, 2008 at 12:00 Noon CST and end on Monday, March 17, 2008 at Noon.

To quote Adoro:

And I have to second what Cathy suggested - let's give some more attention to the smaller blogs. Each year the "big" blogs like "Closed Cafeteria" and professional Catholic apologists' blogs get huge nominations and massive votes. What about the average blogger in the pews here at St. Blogs? I can think of several bloggers who deserve these awards. So let's motivate to make some changes, and focus our spotlights on the people who do a great job in their humble ways.

And in all honesty, I get a LOT more spiritual benefit, and often, true solid knowledge from the everyday Catholic blog, than I do from the big ones that steal the awards every year. So everyone, think about the blogs you love to read, and get ready to nominate them! I know of a few I can't wait to nominate!

Hug a Catechist for Lent

Very few catechists command the instant respect of a Scott Hahn or a Marcus Grodi. Most of them are ordinary people with ordinary lives and an extraordinary love of their faith.

The lay catechists in our parishes are seldom afforded the respect and admiration they deserve. In today’s church, when obedience has become a rather rare commodity, the laity fails to understand the authority of the catechist. The parish priest who has chosen this person for the position gives this authority. Their authority is not the same as the priest, whose authority is not the same as the Bishops, and so on. But they do have a position of authority.

Often they are marginalized and ignored. In many cases outright animosity is often the reward for teaching the truths of the faith. Just let their audience hear something they don’t want to hear and they run to the pastor. If the catechist is lucky, the pastor will defend them, assuming, of course, the correct thing was taught.

They also struggle with the issue of “familiarity.” It’s just so-and-so from down the street. What do they know or who do they think they are? I’m guessing that Peter Kreeft is just plain old Pete in his own parish.

Pope Benedict had this to say on February 8 concerning catechists:

"They undoubtedly deserve the gratitude, encouragement, and constant attention of their pastors," he said, "so they always systematically receive a solid Christian formation, taking into account as well that they are called to carry Christian values into the various areas of society: the world of work, of civil society and of politics."

To honor the catechists who give of their time and talent, I’m declaring this Lent a time to hug a catechist. Next time you see a good catechist, thank them for the job they do. It’s much harder than you think it is.

Another Great Read

Pop over to St. Monica's Kneeler and read this great post from SwissMiss.

Excellent Article

The Tale of Two Churches
by Father Dwight Longenecker

I know it’s impossible to read every good blog in cyberspace, although I suspect some of us make a good dent each day. This article in the National Catholic Register qualifies as a “must read.” After you read it, stop by Father Dwight Longenecker’s blog Standing on My Head, and let him know what you think about it. You'll have to scroll down a few entries to comment on the correct post.

Assignment for the Students of St. George's

Click on the link below and read the article about Lent. After reading the article let me know what you are saying “yes” to this Lent.

You may either tell me in the comment box or by email. Remember if you use the comment box as anonymous to sign your name.

Read about Lent here: Lent: Fasting for the Feast <----- Click on this

Hit and Run

I was just sitting here trying to conjure up something that would fill the need for an uplifting, intelligent, relevant, and spiritual post. As official overseer of the swollen hand (see previous post), I am teetering on the brink of exhaustion.

Along comes Swiss Miss at St. Monica's Kneeler to save the day with a meme to keep me occupied and online. Swiss has performed a cyber hit and run. She hit me with a meme, and ran to a party. Party? Isn’t it Lent?

Middle Name Meme

Rules:
1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers. (Well, duh!)

2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother's maiden name).

3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged.)

My middle name is Louise and I think just about every lady close to my age has the same middle name.

L - The L would definitely stand for light hearted. A person from my past used to say I had the gift of insouciance, which has led to a life of serendipity. I would have to agree.

O – Opinionated is really my middle name. I have an opinion on everything and I’m usually right. Just ask Tom of Vegas. By the way Tom, I ran into someone using "irregardless" that should have known better. In the spirit of Lent, I kept my commenting fingers to myself.

U – My friends and family would call me uproariously funny. That is a result of a lifetime lived with ADD. Folks with Attention Deficit Disorder develop their comedic side as a means of protection. No one will notice if you can’t memorize your multiplication tables if they are busy laughing.

I – I could be called the Inquiring Italian. One of my mottos has been “Inquiring minds need to know.”

S – If my Mom were still alive, she would say "sassy" but I would rather say "silly". Neither of these traits is good.

E – I have been accused (more than once) of being effusive. It's definitely an Italian trait. Everything in my world is unrestrained and over the top. My pastor calls me a drama queen. He’s just jealous.

In need of a nap, I call on all my blogger friends to pick up the stick and run with it. I need six people to do this meme.

Urgent Prayer Request

My husband and I just returned from the doctor’s office. His hand had become quite swollen and we thought it was a result of too much snow shoveling. I became alarmed at the appearance of his hand this afternoon and called the doctor.

He has an extremely serious infection and was placed on an IV drip antibiotic while in the office and has been prescribed heavy-duty oral antibiotics. If things don’t get worse in the next few hours he will see the doctor first thing tomorrow morning. If not, we have to take him to the emergency room.

My husband is a guitar, banjo, and mandolin teacher, performer, and recording artist. His hands are precious. Please keep Harold in your prayers.

Get this widget Track details eSnips Social DNA

Click on esnip widget above and listen to Harold play The Lord's Prayer.

Update: 2/8/2008 Harold received another round of IV antibiotics this morning. Swelling seems to be going down. He is very touched by all your prayers and thanks all of you from the bottom of his little guitar pickin' heart.

Penance for Lent

Karen over at Gem of the Ocean has tagged me. This truly creates suffering worthy to be offered up for Lent. I thank Karen from the depths of my itty-bitty soul.

We are to tag bloggers from around the world that we really like to read. I will do my best to comply. An exact number of tags were not specified so let your conscience be your guide.

My number one all time favorite would have to be Father John Speekman at Homilies and Reflections from Australia. Father John always has something profound to say that touches my heart. He would be close to perfect if it wasn't for his obsession with lizards.

Father Valenchek at Adam's Ale closely follows Father John. His love for God, the Church, and all of us shines brightly in his musings. Ohio is sort of like a foreign country, isn’t it?

Andrew Haines at In Umbris Sancti Petri is going to be busy this next week with exams at the Pontificià Università Gregoriana in Rome. When he returns maybe he will take a moment to join in with a few tags of his own. I'm very interested in what these smart fellers studying to be priests read in the little bit of spare time they have.

I have to tag Angela at Where Angel's Go 'cause if I don't she will end up in the corner sniveling and twisting her hair around a finger. This woman LOVES to be tagged - for anything! Ooooops! I see now that Karen has already tagged Angela. Just 'cause I love her she's staying.

And last, but certainly not least, Tom in Vegas at Science, Religion, and Miscellaneous Babble. He deserves to be tagged for playing the best music of any blog I visit, and sharing his home with Critter, the cutest dog in blogdom (except for my two.) If Ohio is “sort of” a foreign country, Las Vegas definitely is!

Lenten Journey

Of all the liturgical seasons of the Catholic Church, Lent is my favorite. It is the time when Holy Mother Church tells us to slow down. We are to remember that the joy we celebrated at the birth of Our Lord is going to end in His death and resurrection. I’m convinced that if I have a lousy Lent, the whole rest of the year will not unfold as it should.

The Church has these liturgical seasons for a reason. If left to our own devices, we would wander about and waste lots of time trying to figure out how to grow in holiness. Each year we are able to follow and meditate on the life of Our Lord. And each year the Church provides us with the means to expand and enlarge our understanding of the mysteries of our faith.

Lent represents a time of growth for us. The church maintains an attitude of quiet. Bells are silenced and alleluias are not heard. There is less to distract us from our mission of prayer and fasting. In the quiet, hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, acting through the Church, as it calls you to conversion of heart and mind.

Urgent Prayer Request

Please join with us in praying for Melissa. Go to the Daily Grotto and read her story. Pass this on to your readers if you have a blog. Thanks to Tom in Vegas for bringing this to our attention.

Super Tuesday and Ash Wednesday

I don’t think it is purely coincidental this year that Super Tuesday falls on the day before Ash Wednesday. Lent will be a wonderful time for a symbolic purification after being subjected to the blathering and just plain ugliness of political campaigning.

We have just a few days until the beginning of Lent. On Wednesday we will be anointed with blessed ashes symbolizing several different things. In the Old Testament, ashes symbolized mourning, mortality and penance. Today, we think in terms of prayer, penance, and almsgiving. All of these things are worthy of our consideration in a special way during Lent.

This year’s Lenten message by Pope Benedict XVI is focused on the theme of almsgiving. If we are living our Catholic faith, almsgiving is a given, not to make a pun. Perhaps, what our Holy Father is saying is that we should stretch just a bit. If you give up your Starbucks for Lent how about doubling the amount you would have spent and give that money to a worthy cause? That would be stretching.

Search your soul for defects of your character that separate you from God. Take notice of the times you escape into self-pity, greed and envy. Let go of any arrogance you may harbor. Recognize that without God you are nothing more than the ashes that were placed on your forehead.

Some good spiritual reading is always a good idea for Lent, as well as being more consistent with your prayer life. Lent is a wonderful time to read the Gospels and join yourself to the passions of Christ.

Don’t wait for Ash Wednesday to think about the things you may like to do for Lent. If you do, you will wake up on the eve of Easter and wonder where Lent went. Make Lent a part of your conversion journey and plan accordingly as you would for a vacation trip.

Hundreds of volunteers across the Inland Northwest took time on Saturday to dig out their neighbors with shovels, snowblowers, bobcats, and snow plows after all of this week's snow stranded people in their homes.
Volunteers dug out driveways, cars and sidewalks and uncovered buried fire hydrants.

More snow arriving in the Inland Northwest

You read that correctly. Expecting 2 - 5 inches of snow between now and tomorrow night. This is getting ridiculous!

Catch Up Friday

Today I will break my rule and actually say something personal. I have been rather slow with my posts while getting myself "back on track." As an adult with ADD (attention deficit disorder) my coping skills must be maintained. Sometimes, when I'm derailed, time must be spent reviewing and updating my skills. For the past few weeks the organization books have been getting quite a workout.

I know there are lots of folks out there with ADD, and often the co-existing conditions of alcoholism, bi-polar disorder, and fibromyalgia. Please consider yourselves as I do - the lucky ones. We know the problems and have a plan or a program. And, we always have a God who loves us!

In the past few weeks so many of my blogger buddies have given me awards and meme's. Today I will do my best to get caught up and I thank you all for the wisdom and humor you share.

Karen over at Gem of the Ocean gave me a nice award except blogger won't let me post a picture so you'll all have to wait to actually see what award it is. Oooops - working again. She also blessed me with this fun meme. This just in as I try to catch up - PaulaB52 at As We Wait in Joyful Hope has awarded me the Excellent Award, too! Wow, thanks Paula. And.......Maryellen at Grandma's Musings gave me one. My blog runneth over!! If you haven't been to visit Maryellen do yourself a favor and stop by. Not only is she one gorgeous woman, but she's actually older than I am. Now, that doesn't happen too often.

1) Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

That would have to be The DaVinci Code. I’ve even heard some priests claim it was a fun read but there’s too many really good books out there to waste my time on this one.

2) If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

Victor “Pug” Henry from Winds of War, by Herman Wouk. Emma from Jane Austin’s book of the same name, and Scarlett O’Hara. And, no event would be complete without Tony Soprano.

3) (Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for a while, eventually you realise it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

Am I the only person who had to look up who Jasper Fforde is?? It looks like I may never die ‘cause if a book doesn’t grab me the first 20 – 40 pages, it’s history. Therefore, it would be impossible to actually find the most boring book since the boring ones never get finished. Ergo – I’ll live forever.

4) Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?

I’ve never lied about reading a book. I even have a touch of “reverse snobbism” and take great delight in telling people that some books are waaaaaay beyond me ie: Lord of the Rings

5) You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalise the VIP).

I would have to recommend the best available book on reading comprehension and how to read faster. People don't read 'cause they don't do it well.

6) A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

Russian or French if I was trying to impress everyone. However, I hate Russian novels and I lost my taste for French nonsense a long time ago. So, that leaves Italian in order that my BFF Tony Soprano, my cousin Vinnie, and I could sit around big plates of baked ziti and discuss all things Italian.

7) A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

Absolutely impossible to just choose one and I read very, very fast so I will choose more than one. In This House of Brede by Rumer Goddin, And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer, Gone With the Wind by Magaret Mitchell, Winds of War and War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk, anything by Jane Austin, Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, and The Thorn Birds. I’m sure there is a gazillion more but I must leave time for new books.

8) I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

I think finding some of the writing and book blogs have opened up a whole new and exciting world for me. Writers tend to be a bit nuts so I'm very comfortable lurking about their blogs.

9) That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leather bound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

My library would be like what we called a “sun porch” when I was growing up (as in St. Paul, Minnesota.) Window on three sides and only the fourth side for bookshelves. There would be a wood stove for winter and a big ceiling fan for summer. I would need one cozy chair and a table for writing and study. Naturally, there would be plants. I have no need to actually own books other than the reference books I use over and over again.

It's Official

Our official snow fall for last month hit 40". That is twice as much snow than we are usually blessed with for the entire winter. And, guess what, IT'S SNOWING!

We have run out of places to put the snow. In the interest of charity, Eastern Washington and North Idaho have made a plan to ship our extra snow to Minnesota. I think record cold temperatures without snow is not much fun. Expect the convoy of trucks to hit the Minnesota border by this evening.