Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Random Stuffs of Madness


* It rained yesterday and we had a thunderstorm that lasted all night long! Everything is wet, wet, wet! For the first time in what feels like weeks and weeks, my head does. not. hurt. Not even a little!


* I should move to the Pacific Northwest. Or maybe Great Britian. My head would be happier there.


* Last night I dug out the ol' woodburner and scorched myself a lovely little wooden sign for Christmas. It's the first handmade Christmas decoration that I've done since grade school. It says "Peace On Earth" and depicts a gnarly dead tree, tombstones and a cemetery fence. It's hanging up on the six inch bit of wall seperating my office from Princess Mindy's.


* This year's Christmas card has been completed and is careening through space on the way to my rain-soaked mailbox. It's pretty decent. Not breath-taking or award-winning, but decent. I'll post it here once I've had a chance to mail out the originals. If you would like an original, email me (see sidebar) and I'll send 'em out first come, first serve, as long as they last.


* I've done 90% of my Christmas shoping online. Score!

* I wish I could skip out on work today and go somewhere to take cemetery pictures. Work is so freakin' inconvenient these days. Why can't they just pay me to show up a couple of times a week to provide some comic relief? Wouldn't we all be happier? They wouldn't have to put up with me when I'm in a crappy, obscenity-laced, small-object-throwing mood and I could be free to go do whatever I want, whenever the urge strikes. Which would result in fewer of the C,O-L, S-O-T moods, overall. Life would be good.

* An email pal from Denmark told me that we Americans don't know crap about tea. To prove it she sent me a whole box of various bags of loose tea she bought at a tea house. (A TEA HOUSE!!) She is so right, we don't know crap about tea. This stuff is goooood!

* I'm in a reading mood, but I don't know what I want to read. Anybody have any suggestions? I refuse to read self-help (*spits*) and most of the time non-fiction smacks too much of obligation rather than recreation. Mysteries are my favorites, especially English country house murders. What do you recommend?

18 comments:

Dijea said...

Where do I begin on the books - I read all the time.

Mysteries: Have you read any Elizabeth George. Mary Willis Walker is good, she's a Texas writer as is Rick Riordan - but if you do, start at the begining of Rick's Tres Navare Series.

If you want a good laugh. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Again start from the begining, but I'm not sure if Grandma Mazur or Ex-Hooker Lula is funnier.

I love Lee Childs, David Baldacci, Jeffrey Deaver (Get Praying for Sleep or A Maiden's Grave) & Michael Connoly - I never miss one of his books. He writes a series about a LA cop & then on about a FBI agent. Brad Metzer is good too.

I'll shut up now.

Anonymous said...

Have you tried the Jane Austin mysteries by Stephanie Barron? She's been quite faithful to the Jane Austin spirit (if you like that).

Patti said...

Have you worked your way all the way through Agatha Christie? And I love your wall hanging. It sums up my holiday spirit.

Lori said...

Not exactly a mystery, but "The Testament of Gideon Mack" is a real cool page turner. More bizarre than mystery.

And if your head starts hurtin' again, Nancy Drew is always a nice diversion. :)

Lori said...

Oh, P.S. That is one really fine Christmas decoration!

Unknown said...

Dont know why you are not reading all of those dang Harry Potter books we have at the house. How about re-reading a few Dan Brown books or even about the Dead Sea Scrolls?

BTW..have you scored me copies of the Brit versions of the Harry Potter books yet for Christmas?

Glad to see that sign made it's way to your office and not in our living room putz

annie said...

The sign is so cool! Glad to hear the Christmas card is complete.

I have no book suggestions. :(

Don't even want to talk about Christmas shopping...

annie said...

PS--And why would anyone who puts skulls and tombstones on a Christmas decoration (and stores her Christmas tree in a coffin box, if I remember correctly), why would a person like that need a self-help book?

jonboy said...

The Gospel of Judas is rather interesting.

DogBlogger said...

How about The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon? It's told from an autistic kid's point of view.

Oh, and I'd love a card... email me at my work account or get my address from Mindy...

Anonymous said...

I highly recommend the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series!! Laugh out loud funny!!
Dean Koontz has a new one out that I just started. So far it's been really good - in a creepy sort of way.

Crimson Rambler said...

If you can get them, the Church of England mysteries by D. M. Greenwood are great fun (especially if you already think Anglicans/Episcopalians are comical) -- or Julia Spencer Fleming is very good too.
Did you ever read "David Harum"? -- the only novel by Edward Westcott. It's one of my comfort books -- right beside "Jane Eyre"...good luck and good reading!

P M Prescott said...

As a tea totaler how do you get some of that Danish tea?

As for books, I suggest my book, it could even be signed by the author making it a collector's item.
We could even set up an exchange of some of that tea for a book.

Rev Kim said...

Love the Christmas decoration!

And the two-day work week thing would be great.

Mary Beth said...

Anything by Susan Wittig Albert. She has some English country house ones (historical fiction) and some modern day ones set in a town near Austin. Rock!

Carlos said...

Hi and thank you for your visit to my quiet corner.Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Love the sign - but maybe it needs Mindy to decorate the corners with really cute black bows made of organza ribbon? Just to girly it up a bit...
*snickers*

Marie said...

Hey, just stumbled on your blog; it's awesome.
Sarah Caudwell is a hoot, & her mysteries are written in the most perfectly frosty British voice. Unfortunately she only wrote 4 before shed died, & they're out of print. But I see them all the time in used book stores.
I would also second Elizabeth George if you haven't read her mysteries yet.