Thursday Thirteen #26

Thirteen randomly weird things about this week (aka, Thought Soup Day) I don't know where my brain has been this week!  It's definitely MIA.  I've been doing a lot of really dumb stuff.  If I didn't know better, I'd think I were pregnant but that's not even in the realm of possible thought, even for it being a randomly weird week. Wednesday, I left the house, children in tow, without my driver's license.  I realized it halfway to Friend Husband's university, our first stop, and was just horrified.  So was Friend Husband when I told him.  He was of the opinion, it being illegal to drive without a license, that I should truck on back home and go back to the university tomorrow to keep an appointment.  My thought was that I was already driving illegally and driving illegally back home so that I could waste yet another day dealing with junk at FH's place of work didn't make sense.  Perhaps I should have turned around and gone back.  I didn't. And I thought about that later on, when I absent-mindedly ran a red light. No, I didn't get a ticket, but after I stopped bawling from being so upset about that having happened (I didn't even see the light, for Pete's sake), I thought how poetic the justice would be if I got a ticket for running a red light AND for not having a license while I was hauling people around. Ok, regarding last week's TT, wherein I gave some of our strange family nicknames:  here are a few explanations.  Friend Husband's nicknames (on the list) were:  Uncle Buggy, Lau, and Ness.  My nieces called him Uncle Buggy (his name, when it is not Friend Husband, which really doesn't work at the psychology department, is Doug and they couldn't pronounce it very well.)  His mom used to call him Lau, for reasons I won't get into here and I used to call him Ness for reasons I can't get into because it's too long, complicated, and ultimately stupid. My sole nickname in life has been Auntie Lo or Aunt Lowly.  The same nieces couldn't pronounce my name properly either, so they called me "Lowly" instead of Lori.  I've always wanted a nickname but there's precious little one can do with "Lori", so I was happy to finally have one. My oldest daughter's nickname when she was a wee lass was Pling, short for "dumpling".  The next oldest daughter's nickname was Bunny, because she was such a cute little cuddly bunny of a girl.  David goes by Davey Doo (not to be confused with Uncle Doo Doo, who actually still goes by that name even though he's in his 50's) and one of Keziah's many many nicknames is Tzeitel.  Yes, it is a long story. Before Keziah came to our home to grace us with her presence, Abigail had the longest list of nicknames of anyone in the family.  Aside from the very obvious Abby, she also answered to Abs, Beez, Tita, and FiFi and variants of all of these.  In her baby book, I have a list of nicknames she had before she was 4.  It's a long one. Ok, though Ab-Norma doesn't really need explaining, I will anyway.  My stepfather has a brother who was married to a very strange woman named Norma.  The brother was also very strange...so strange that, at our wedding, I found myself assuring Friend Husband that those people weren't related to me by blood.  My stepfather hung the name Ab-Norma onto his sister-in-law and it stuck, around the family anyway.  If we refer to "Ab", we know it's Norma and not my own Abs. This is the week to lose things (including what's left of my feeble little mind)...I cannot find my gym bag, which has my permit in it to go to any Curves I choose and not just the one with all the snotty, snooty women.  Friend Amy and I were going to go to the Curvy Road Curves this morning but I spent 30 minutes waaaay too early this morning trying to find the missing gym bag and the missing permit.  I ended up driving down to the CRC to apologize to Amy and they let me work out anyway.  Meanwhile, the manager of the Snooty Curves told the manager of the CRC that SC would fax a copy of my permit to CRC and hasn't done it.  I think she's even more off-base than I am. Speaking of losing things, I've totally lost what else I wanted to say this morning.  So I will say that today and tomorrow are supposed to be unbelievably gorgeous days with highs in the 70's.  I will be attempting to get the 1,352,739,503 leaves off my driveway (that have fallen since I did this yesterday) and gum up the cracks in the driveway with asphalt so the ice won't tear it apart this winter. Except that I lost the gun that you shoot the stuff into the cracks with, so I'll either have to find that or buy another one. And, in a final "loser" moment, I couldn't find the scrub brush for the bathroom tub and sink today, when I finally managed to get enough energy up to clean the bathroom.  I don't think I lost that one, though.  My sources say that Doo got hold of it and hid it somewhere.   Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen nicknames belonging to people in my family Uncle Buggy Ab-Norma Pling Bunny Beez Doo Tzeitel Lau Auntie Lo Abs Tita FiFi (yes, this was a nickname for a human child) Ness I had an idea for what I thought would be a really good Thursday Thirteen and I didn't write it down so it's lost to the vagaries of my twisted mind.  ARGH! Do you like the TT tag above?  I made it my ownsome.  That's what one of our trees looked like this morning in the sunlight.     Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Yesterday's lovely picture featured David after he took a piece of peanut butter bread and perched it atop his head.  He received a haircut as a result...what a lovely gift!

And no, I didn't do all of these quizzes today.  I've been saving them up for when my life is way too boring to have an adequate Thursday Thirteen.

Thirteen Blog Quizzes You Are Sunrise You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be. What Time Of Day Are You? HowManyOfMe.com There are: 4 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name? I am a Canna What Flower Are You?   Your Sloth Quotient: 24% You're a little lazy, but normally you're a very energetic and motivated person. Don't beat yourself up over a little laziness every now and then. You do need your downtime! How Much Sloth Do You Have?   You Are Superman Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. And pretty cute too. No wonder you're the most popular superhero ever! What Superhero Are You?   Your Envy Quotient: 19% Envious? You? No way! You're happy with what you've got going on, and what someone else has doesn't change that. When people succeed, you are happy for them. You know you'll get yours eventually! How Much Envy Do You Have?   You've Experienced 76% of Life You have all of the life experience that most adults will ever get. And unless you're already in your 40s, you're probably wise beyond your years. How Much Life Experience Do You Have?   Your Social Anxiety Level: 40% You have low social anxiety. Of course very unfamiliar or strange situations make you uncomfortable. But you can pull through and handle almost any social occasion with grace. Are You Socially Anxious?   Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator. What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?   You Should Try Car Racing You've got an unbelievable need for speed No little fear of crashing will stop your lead foot What Extreme Sport Should You Try?   You Belong in New Zealand Good on ya, mate You're the best looking one of the bunch Though you're often forgotten... You're quite proud of who you are What English Speaking Country Are You?   You Belong in Fall Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you What Season Are You?   Your Life Is Worth... $454,000 How Much Is Your Life Worth? Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Thirteen Things I love about fall in the Midwest 1.  Firstly, I think it's important to remember that I grew up in Austin, Texas.  Fall in Austin consists of the temps going below 90º and the leaves turning brown.  So that's important.  I guess one thing to love is that I'm no longer in Austin.  (No offense intended to those of you who do and love it.) 2.  I love the smell of the air.  It's mustier, suffused with the elusive scent of woodsmoke that always reminds me of lovely camping trips. 3.  I love the skies.  In October, the sky turns a dark yet vibrant blue that you rarely see at other times of the year.  Maybe on the odd deep summer day, but only rarely. 4.  Obviously, I love the leaves turning.  My first fall in the midwest (back in good old Missouri), I'd walk around with my mouth wide open like a tourist.  I never have gone on the New England leaf tours, but I can understand why people do it. 5.  I love those days when it's windy and all the leaves are blowing around like they're a leaf cyclone.  We like to go out and run around and dance in it. 6.  The chill in the air is a beautiful thing to those of us who are "well-nourished". 7.  Pumpkins! 8.  Gourds! 9.  The air in the fall is sometimes infused with a magnificent gold color that I also have never seen the rest of the year.  I am one of those weirdos you see standing stock still in the middle of a field or yard, just staring intently at the light.  My family has grown accustomed to it and has promised not to call the men in the padded truck to come get me when I do that. 10.  Fresh apples.  We have a family-run orchard down the road.  We watch the apples every year, from blossom to fruit and there's nothing like that first crunchy-juicy bite of fresh apple. 11.  Cold-weather food.  I try to suit my menus to the season.  In the summer, we eat a lot of watermelon, salad, tomatoes, and fresh veggies.  In the fall, we start chili season, stew season, and beans and cornbread dinners. 12.  Mums and pansies.  Pansies always remind me of my late, great mil, who loved pansies and roses above all else.  She helped me plant my very first pansies when she came to visit one fall.  I know they're old-fashioned and frowsy but I love them.  Mums are just wonderful, especially those lovely ones that are yellow tinged with orange. 13.  Thanksgiving.  Since we don't celebrate Halloween (except to stock up on marked-down chocolate) or Christmas (ditto Christmas candy), Thanksgiving is the preeminent holiday for us.  We have been blessed to celebrate it with our friends the Meltons over the past 5 years or so but since they moved to Texas, we thought we'd be on our ownsome this year.  Lo and behold, my brother and his family moved to Tennessee, just a state and a half away, so we're hoping his job situation will allow for them to come with us for Thanksgiving. Last year's Thanksgiving was a departure from tradition.  Instead of the usual turkey feast (which I don't like anyway), we had an ethnic food feast.  We had wats from Ethiopia and stews and veggies from India.  In addition to its being a little bit healthier for you, most of it could be done in advance and heated up on the day...no frazzled cook with a lengthy itinerary!  (And yes, we did have the traditional sweet potato casserole and pies...that's the only way the girls wouldn't complain about Mom's weirdness.) So there you have it!  I love fall!  Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things about our field trips this week I am not a fun mom. Friend Gina and I joke that we are charter members of the "Not Fun Mom Club" and charter members don't take field trips lightly. But occasionally you have to do them and this week we took two. On the same day. Ha, so there! Selfish bugger that I am, I probably wouldn't have taken them if I hadn't wanted to get some mums from the mum farm. Even then, I second-guessed myself. Part of being chronically depressed is that it is so hard to bestir yourself to do the simplest thing, even if it's something pleasant. But I forced myself out of the house Tuesday and we went to the mum farm and to Ripley to visit Rankin House. The mum farm was a little disappointing, only because most of the mums were gone. This guy is famous for having big, beautiful mums for cheap and the big big county fair being this week, most of the mums were gone. We still managed to get 6 huge mums for $22 and rambled around the area a bit. I didn't get a picture of the mums I bought but I did get pictures of the children in the mums and mums themselves. I think if I say "mums" one more time, I'll go wonky. Here are the pictures. Whoops, I forgot about the stalkers, so I won't put pictures of the children up here.  I'll put them in a protected post for my subscribers. 4.  After the mum farm, we stopped for gas there in Russellville and I asked the gas station attendant how far we were from Ripley, where the Rankin House is.  I'd heard from many people what an educational opportunity it is to go out there and, indeed, it is a regular stop on the public school field trip circuit, so I threw caution to the wind and went down there with no prior planning. 5.  It worked out better than it might have.  I thought, as I was driving around trying to find a place to eat lunch, that the house might be closed.  It might have a lot of field trips going on.  Who knew?  But it did work out. 6.  After driving the main drag in Ripley several times, I realized that we were going to have to eat at one of the two small diners, McDonald's, or Gold Star Chili.  The decision was really made for me, as I despise Mickey D's and David can't eat anything in Gold Star.  I selected the diner with the most cars outside (and the locals walking in and out the doors) and we mosied on in. 7.  It was quite obvious to everyone that we were not local.  It became obvious to us as all conversation ceased when we walked in.  We took a long table in the middle of the restaurant and settled in.  Unhappily, the denizens of Ripley seem to have quite the tobacco habit and there was not a "no smoking section" to be seen.  As we were scrutinized by the locals, I made a mental note to eat quickly and bail.  Unfortunately for me, Abby ordered pancakes, which were huge, covering the entire dinner plate. 8.  I also learned how to speak through smiling teeth to encourage my children not to make loud disparaging comments about the quantity of smoke in their immediate vicinity.  It confused Abby enough to make her stop asking questions.  After we left, I told the girls that that was the way I remember all restaurants being before the no-smoking movement caught on.  They were duly thankful for their own deliverance. 9.  I don't want to give the impression that the visit was entirely bad.  One lady who was a mover and a shaker in the diner talked to us a lot and admired the babies.  After David was finished, he wanted to make the rounds and say hi to everyone.  Some people were more receptive than others, but he had a grand old time.  The food was reasonably good too. 10.  So up to the Rankin House, which is on a hilltop overlooking Ripley and the Ohio River.  As a field trip experience, it was lacking for me because I spent my time trying to keep the twins from destroying the museum.  I would have loved to linger and read all the placards throughout.  A lady at my Curves told me that there's an excellent book (Beyond the River) about the Rankins so I will go look for that and enjoy it more because I've been there.  But the first look of the house against the backdrop of the Ohio River was breathtaking.  Literally.  I gasped when I saw it.  My pictures very much don't do it justice but it was magnificent.  The picture I had up yesterday was the view in front, with the house in it.  This one was taken from one of the upstairs windows, facing the Ohio River. 11.  When we went around back, the girls discovered the staircase that descends the hill to Ripley.  This is rebuilt (complete with safety guards) where John Rankin's was located and was how he got down to his church and how the slaves got up from Ripley to Rankin's house to be hidden or sent on their way to the next Underground Railroad station.  What we didn't know upon setting out was that there are 100 steps down, then a trek through the woods.  Very pastoral, very lovely, but a long way down and up, especially if you're carrying a 30 pound twin on your hip because he refused to do the deed.  I was extremely tired afterward and extremely sore for the next two days.   12.  While we were actually on the stairway, Sarah and I were not thrilled with the experience but Rachel and Abby were loving it.  I tried to inspire a bit of history enthusiasm by trying to get them to imagine being an escaped slave, trying to be quiet while ascending the stairway.  It was really a frightening thought, especially with the babies.  I can't imagine trying to do it.  Which is, I guess, the point of having places like Rankin House to visit. 13.  We were totally fried on the way home.  Once we got home, I sequestered the babies in the living room, put on a Wiggles video and vegged out on the couch.  It was a great trip and I'm glad we went but it certainly took "it" right out of me.  And that will probably help me to maintain my membership in the "Not Fun Moms Club". Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Here are the pictures I didn't want stalkers to see, plus the one yesterday, which was David walking back up the long rock walkway from the house.

Mum Farm

In front of Rankin House

At the top of the steps, before descent (ie, when it seemed like a good idea).  The river is the Ohio.  The docent at the museum said that, before the dam was built, the river was about half the width and half the depth.  Sometimes people could cross it on foot or on the ice when it froze over in the winter.  Otherwise, they had to use skiffs to cross.

The infamous steps.  Zi also refused to go up after a while and Rachel hoisted her up on her hip and hauled her up.

At last!  The steps are behind us!  Except for these...but there's the house!  The sky really was that blue.  It was a gorgeous day.

Dave's reaction after the steps.  I wonder what he would have done if he'd actually gone down and up them.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things I like about myself, as per Denise's suggestion   It was suggested by another TT'er that we (especially we female types) blog about what we like about ourselves.  I'm glad.  I'd misremembered its being 13 things we're good at.  That had me in a cold sweat.  I hope I can come up with 13 things I like about myself.  Here goes: 1.  I like my bizarre sense of humor.  I didn't know I had one until Friend Husband was amused by it.  Up to that point, no one seemed to think I had one at all, I think. 2.  I like my grey hairs.  It goes beyond the "I earned them" thing, although I did.  I like them because they're shiny and silvery and I remember some of the battles that went into creating them.   I think it's important to remember your battles. 3.  I like that I changed my life some years back such that I don't have to worry about covering my tracks.  I don't think I'd have the energy for that right now.  I guess that would be, "I'm glad that I live an honest life." 4.  I like about myself that I'll stop and admire flowers, nice smells, small animals, etc.  My children think I'm goofy but I think they'll appreciate it when they get older. 5.  I like that I keep on trying to garden, even if things don't turn out the way I'd like or the way I'd planned. 6.  Ditto the above with regard to quilting. 7.  Ditto the above with regard to homeschooling, parenting, being a wife, and just about everything else I do.  I used to be a very rigid, very controlled type of person.  I miss some of that self-control, but most of the perfectionism was not very good for me.  I'm glad I'm more of a roll-with-the-punches type of person. 8.  I like that I can cook, cook well, and that I'm somewhat adventurous with my cooking.  I've fed a lot people over the years and, as Friend Husband likes to point out, I show love with food. 9.  I like that I have intellectual curiosity.  This is something that has just developed in the last few years or so.  I'll find myself curious about something and I'll immerse myself in that for a while, until I feel that I have a handle on it.  It's different than any other sort of intellectual exercise that I've done in past years:  delight-driven education. 10.  For that matter, I like that I've continued to educate myself past the usual time for education.  It's axiomatic, I think, that homeschool parents tend to learn things along with their children, but this education goes beyond even that.  It's just for me and I like that. 11.  I like that I started exercising and eating better after I got past the worst part of my grief over my mother's passing.  I'm not the most successful person at either, unlike my more obsessive friends (cough, cough...GINA), but I think it's been a healthy thing for me beyond the weight loss (which hasn't been permanent for me). 12.  I like that I care about people, even people I don't really know in real life.  I have a lot of online buddies and it's amazing how much you can care about other people who you probably will never meet.  Sometimes I get my knickers in a knot and want to quit but usually I'm just happy to tune in and find out what's going on with everyone and pray for the needs I see. 13.  I like that I like who I am, by and large.  When I was younger, I hated myself.  I'm not sure if it was that I actually disliked who I was, if I was internalizing the messages of those around me, or that I just had a surfeit of hormones (or all three) but I did hate myself and it was miserable to live within my own skin.  Sometimes I still go off the rails but it's not necessarily because I hate myself, but because the pain of living sometimes becomes too great to bear...until I can excise the pain with prayer and the love of those around me.  And that is something I never had, back when I hated myself.   Start your list here! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Thirteen Books I've read recently plus brief reviews Safe People (Cloud & Townsend):  Yeah, no.  This was the most boring book I've read in quite some time.  It's about how to be a "safe person" to those around you, someone in whom they can trust.  And it took page after excruciating page to accomplish this.  2/10 Beyond Mammoth Cave:  A Tale of Obsession in the World's Longest Cave (Borden & Brucker):  Also a no-go.  I couldn't even get past the first chapter without wondering how utterly boring this book was going to be.  Perhaps subsequent chapters were less tedious or perhaps the level of writing improved (or perhaps I'm just not interested in spelunking details) but the first chapter shut the whole thing down for me. 1/10 Chocolate-Dipped Cherry Death (Carter):  I have a thing for themed murder mystery books.  This one was ok, but it was no Davidson substitute.  6/10 Chocolate Mouse Trap (Carl):  Ditto the themed mystery books.  Ditto what I said about the book above.  6/10 Guide to the National Parks:  East & Midwest (National Geographic):  In my quest to find out as much as I could about Mammoth Cave before we actually went there, I checked this book out.  It gave you snippets of information, beautiful pictures, but not much meat about anything.  It's like the USA Today version of the Guidebooks we used to be able to find.  I guess it's part and parcel of the dumbing down of America that we have guidebooks that don't do much guiding at all.  3/10 Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay (Wilder-Taylor):  In this genre (and yes, there is one) of people who find themselves pregnant, clueless, and yet quite sophisticated, this is not the best pick.  It's been done, and better, with less foul language.  2/10 O Pioneers! (Cather):  At some point, I became very (rightfully) ashamed that I'd never read any Cather.  Seven years later, I finally have.  And I enjoyed enough to take out My Antonia, which I haven't yet read.  This one was sparely written, which is rarely found today as well as an interesting story.  This and Bitter Brew brought up so many memories of my Swedish ancestors and explained some of why they were the way they were.  7/10  (plus bonus points if you give them for reading the classics) A Bitter Brew:  Faith, Power, and Poison in a Small New England Town (Young):  This book was a very poorly written smorgasbord of old gossip stemming from a cyanide-laced coffee klatch in a Lutheran church in Maine.  The author, purportedly an investigative reporter, does nothing but churn up the gossip cesspool and write in a steamy, almost romance-novel-type fashion, which does not solve any crimes and leaves the reader with a worse taste in her mouth than that which would have been caused by drinking the aforementioned brew. 2/10 There and Back Again:  An Actor's Tale (Astin & Layden):  We are big fans of Lord of the Rings here, both the books and the award-winning movies they spawned.  Sam, as portrayed by Sean Astin, is one of our favorite characters and indeed, until I read this book, Sean Astin was an actor whose craft I enjoyed.  Of course, I haven't seen The Goonies, but we won't go there.  That said, you can understand the utter disbelief and dismay I felt upon reading this book.  This is the only autobiography I've ever read that left me with less respect and interest in the subject.  It wasn't until the last couple of chapters that he seemed at all bearable.  It wasn't enough to save the book.  He tries to set himself (and his family, acting icons Patty Duke and John Astin) up as the defenders of the underdogs, blue collar actors.  Right.  In almost the next sentence, he'd complaining about the amount of money that he made in a given movie.  Guess what, Sean?  Making $125,000 over the course of 3 years does not make you one of the working poor.  Get over yourself.  2/10 Isaac's Storm:  A Man, A Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History (Larson):  I have books that I like to reread periodically.  I think this one may become one of those.  I've read it at least 3 times now and have found different things to like about it each time.  This time, I noticed that the rhythm of his writing in this book (and not necessarily his others) is much like the rhythm of the tides, much like the rhythm of the hurricane that he describes.  This horrific unnamed storm washed over the city of Galveston, TX on September 8, 1900.  The estimates of those dead were between 8,000 and 10,000.  I learned more about the Weather Service, hurricanes, the 18th century, and Galveston than I ever thought possible.  And I know I'll find something else new the next time I read it.  9/10 Scraping Heaven:  A Family's Journey Across the Great Divide (Ross):  I probably shouldn't include this one because I'm only 2/3 of the way through it, but it's been consistent so I guess I'll go on the basis of that.  This is the story of two wilderness backcountry hikers who missed life on the trail so much after they had children that they figured out a way to pack the kids onto the trails with them using llamas.  Sounds fabulous, right?  Heartwarming family story, no?  No.  If the last 1/3 of this book is as whiny as the first 2/3, I'll be surprised that Ross ever got it published.  I guess she set out to talk about the hardships on the trail and how life changes when you have children.  And I'm sure both of those are true (I can vouch for the second one personally).  But I have not found enough of the joy inherent in the backcountry hiking to compensate for the arguments that the hike cause between she and her husband, she and her friends, nor can I find the joy in hiking when you complain about everything that happens along the way.  Yes, life is messy that way but for a book to be interesting, I don't think you can express it all without some sort of idea as to why it is a good idea to hike wilderness areas with small children.  Give me a little more of that and this book might be redeemed.  2/10 Over The Edge:  Death in Grand Canyon (Myers & Ghiglieri):  Jen recommended this in her blog and I'll have to say that I enjoyed it far more than I probably should have.  I even gave it as a dog-sitting gift to our friends the Rogerses, who have been to Grand Canyon.  They seemed to enjoy it too.  These two men, one a doctor, one a former trail guide and forest ranger, who both worked in or around Grand Canyon, is a compilation of the various and sundry ways that people have died in or around Grand Canyon.  How macabre, you say!  Well, after admitting that I like murder mysteries, my reputation may be lacking here, but I found it fascinating.  The number one risk factor for dying in Grand Canyon?  Being male.  Either you're a young, stupid male and do young, stupid male things, or you're an old male and die of dehydration or hypothermia-induced heart failure upon falling into the Colorado River on a rafting excursion.  Of course, women have died in Grand Canyon, also from being stupid or having heart failure, but the authors make a compelling case for men being more prone to doing things that will get them killed in Grand Canyon.  The grim stories are interspersed with stories of people who should have died but didn't, often due to the intervention of park rangers or bystanders who kept them warm, or kept them from going over the edge.  9/10 The Last Season (Blehm):  My sister-in-law told me about a book similar to Over The Edge but which dealt exclusively with Yellowstone Park.  While searching for it on Amazon, I came across this book.  The librarian put it in my hand as I was leaving for Mammoth Cave.  I found it very hard to put down for the next couple of days.  It is the story of Randy Morgenson, arguably the most experienced, seasoned backcountry ranger in the rugged High Sierra park area.  Randy Morgenson disappeared while on patrol in the backcountry in July 1996.  Originally, I thought this book would be a good contrast to Bitter Brew in that it's actually well written and attempts to solve the mystery of what happened to Randy Morgenson.  It's much more than that, though.  It's an exposition of Morgenson's life, with tidbits about the wilderness, life as a backcountry ranger, and living an authentic life thrown in for good measure.  I won't go any further than that and spoil the thing, as I did for one of the Rogers boys last night, in my gushing accolades to the book.  Read it yourself and tell me what you thought.  I rate it 10/10.  (Understand that it has some adult situations and language in it.  Little, but some.)  Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Thirteen Things about Lori Y'all know how much I love blog quizzes so I offer a few to you in the spirit of Thursday Thirteen. You Are Coke A true original and classic, you represent the best of everything you can offer. Just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of energy... you're the life of the party. Your best soda match: Mountain Dew Stay away from:Dr Pepper What Kind of Soda Are You? Reeses Peanut Butter Cups Very popular, one of you is not enough. What Kind of Candy Are You? How You Live Your Life You seem to be straight forward, but you keep a lot inside. You're laid back and chill, but sometimes you care too much about what others think. You tend to have one best friend you hang with, as opposed to many aquaintences. You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable. How Do You Live Your Life? Your Fortune Is A man can keep his youth, by giving her money, furs and diamonds. The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator Your Luck Quotient: 42% You have an average luck quotient. There's been times when you've been extremely lucky... but also times when you've been very unlucky. You probably know that you can make your own luck in life, if you're open to it. So listen to your intuition as much as you can. It's right more often than you might expect. How Lucky Are You? Who Should Paint You: Andy Warhol You've got an interested edge that would be reflected in any portrait You don't need any fancy paint techniques to stand out from the crowd! What Artist Should Paint Your Portrait? You Are 30% Boyish and 70% Girlish Even if you're not a girl, you're very feminine. You're in touch with your feelings, and your heart rules you. A bit of a emotional roller coaster, one moment you're up and the next you're down. But no matter what, you try to be as cute and perky as possible. How Boyish or Girlish Are You? On Average, You Would Sell Out For $1,123,950 At What Price Would You Sell Out? You Are a Boston Creme Donut You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you. But on the inside, you're a total pushover and completely soft. You're a traditionalist, and you don't change easily. You're likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it's sold out. What Donut Are You? Your Blogging Type is Artistic and Passionate You see your blog as the ultimate personal expression - and work hard to make it great. One moment you may be working on a new dramatic design for your blog... And the next, you're passionately writing about your pet causes. Your blog is very important - and you're careful about who you share it with. What's Your Blogging Personality? You Are Rain You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming. Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you. You are best known for: your touch Your dominant state: changing What Type of Weather Are You? You Have a Phlegmatic Temperament Mild mannered and laid back, you take life at a slow pace. You are very consistent - both in emotions and actions. You tend to absorb set backs easily. You are cool and collected. It is difficult to offend you. You can remain composed and unemotional. You are a great friend and lover. You don't demand much of others. While you are quiet, you have a subtle wit that your friends know well. At your worst, you are lazy and unwilling to work at anything. You often get stuck in a rut, without aspirations or dreams. You can get too dependent on others, setting yourself up for abandonment. What Temperment Are You? You Are Kermit Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know. You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems. Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green. Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies! The Muppet Personality Test Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thirteen Things about Lori 1.  Hey!  D'ja miss me?  Huh, huh?  Did ya? 2.  I'm posting today because of Friend Gina (see!  I'm ok!) and Friend Kelly.  She posted her very first TT today.  Welcome to the insanity! 3.  Patty was involved in a bad accident yesterday.   Thank goodness she walked away from it unhurt.  You can see pictures of her car at Naomi's site. 4.  Kinda makes my little problems paltry doesn't it?  Not that much is really going on wrong, just life flowing past me. 5.  I've been working hard on David's baby quilt.  The good news is that I finally figured out a way to include the middle block that I originally made for it.  It's a Peace and Plenty block and I really wanted to use it as much for for the name as for the block itself.  There's so much famine and unrest in Ethiopia now...it's a wish for the country as well as for David (and Keziah). 6.  The bad news is that that blasted quilt has 4 inset y-seams, which are a royal pain in my ample tush.  I'm managing though.  7.  Another fine thing is that when I was planning out the block setting, an Ohio Star appeared.  I just love serendipitous things like that!  Now it'll have a sort of a double-pattern developing.  I think.  Anyway, it's cool. 8.  The Big Girls are practicing their lines for The Music Man.  We did the scene with Marian and Charlie Cowell 10 times on Tuesday.  I was ready to pull my hair out by the roots by the end.  Have I mentioned how much I dislike this play? 9.  Welcome to Lori, my latest subscriber!  I will definitely have to start a Lori blogring now.  Any suggestions for a name? 10.  Here's another question for y'all.  I got myself involved in a block exchange sort of thing for one of my small quilt groups.  We're supposed to make 9" 9-patch blocks for each other, using the provided background.  So I have to decide what sort of a 9-patch block I want.  I originally thought that I wanted a 9-patch in Amish colors, then I thought in homespuns with barn reds or Prussian blues.  I just don't know what I want, and as the blocks are in different sizes, I have to figure out what to do with the blessed things anyway.  I have two quilts in progress that I could use them on:  an Amish friendship star that the guild made me when I was President (which needs borders) and a tiny little baskets quilt that I've been working on for a while.  Yes, after the twins' quilts are finished...and the blocks I'm making for other people are done.  Right.  I should live long enough to finish my quilting projects.  So help me figure out what kind of a nine-patch to work on so I can buy the background fabric and have it cut out before the next meeting. Which is the second Tuesday of the month. 11.  What else, what else?  Yes, I've been hanging back from updating here.  We are really busy but I also think I spend way too much time online, so I've been trying to cut back.  It is hard though, and I miss my Xanga pals, not to mention the fun people who read this blog over on Homeschool Blogger. 12.  AND I had some sort of spyware/adware on the computer which took 2 full days to get off.  Well, 2 half days anyway.  I don't have full days to devote to anything, however noble it might be.  But it seems to be gone now, hallelujah! 13.  Tonight is date night!  Yay!  We're planning to go see Walk The Line and go out to eat.  Should be interesting.  And I'm so very thankful that next week is Spring Break!  I think we all need a big ol' break. So have yourself an excellent afternoon! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Kelly (because I promised) (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

1. Woohooo!  Yes, that was me you heard screaming bloody murder this morning when I logged on and saw that Texas had in fact beaten USC last night to claim the National Championship.
2. This is an odd thing.  I did, in fact, graduate from that "esteemed" institution with my B.A. in psychology (and that's where Friend Husband got his graduate degreee and where we met) but I've never been a big supporter.  Having grown up in Austin and been force-fed UT and UT football my whole life, my main goal as a senior in high school was to go elsewhere.  Anywhere.  I applied (and was accepted) to Rice University, Sweet Briar, and Wellesley (hey, the last 2 were girls' schools, I figured it would gain points with the parentals) but ended up at the hallowed halls of The University of Texas at Interregional.  So, I went there and hated most of my 4 years there (yep, I did graduate in 4 years...makes a difference when you're paying for it yourself).  But when I saw that Texas had slipped past USC to win the game, I whooped so loud the neighbors could hear me.  What's up with that?
3. We had to then ritually sing the Texas Fight Song (yet another odd custom that has been bred into me over years of training...Mother would have been so proud).  I taught this to the girls during one of our long treks to Cincinnati Children's Hospital last spring when we were having Sarah evaluated.  (Incidentally, the words that are on the link above are not the words I learned as un undergraduate there.  They're much much tamer.)  So, to the tune of "I've Been Working On The Railroad", you sing this song and at the end, you're supposed to yell epithets at the opposing team.  Of course, this is not something that I wanted to teach the young 'uns so I substituted "Then they say some cuss words".  Of course, that became the very favorite part of the whole song for the girls. 
4. Another interesting thing about UT is that they light up the main building tower orange  after a sports win and when a sport actually garners the #1 ranking, they light up the tower with a number "1".  They will be doing that tonight.  You may see it yourself from the University Co-op Tower Cam if you wish.  But if you don't want to, here's a picture or two from previous #1 seasons.    It's not uncommon for UT grads to have huge framed posters of this in their homes (I know my stepfather had one in his home office).  Yes, they are that crazed.
5. And yes, if the tower looks strangely familiar to you in a not-good way, it is the site of the Tower Massacre where Charles Whitman took it upon himself to shoot and kill 13 people walking around the campus.  That was the first thing I thought of as I walked onto campus the first time to register.  Although I wasn't even a twinkle in Daddy's eye when it happened (well, maybe a twinkle), it's definitely a part of the whole Austin-UT-Tower mystique/history thing.  Yeah.  I'm so articulate this morning.
6. Enough about UT.  Did y'all know that "tump" is a word?  Well, I know that those of you from Texas and possibly the rest of the South know that it's a real word, but even Bookworm recognizes it as a word.  I was just so tickled by that.  Anyone (who doesn't hail from the South) wanna guess what it means?  And no fair looking it up either.
7. I read a lot of books whilst we were traversing this great nation of ours a couple of weeks ago.  I'm so delighted that I got over my car-sickness enough to be able to do this.  The first one I read was Midwives by Chris Bohjalian.  It was quite a good read!  Had a surprise in it that had me open-mouthed and indignant and having to explain everything to Friend Husband.  I'm not nearly as good at explaining things as the author is at writing them so he just didn't get it.
8. Our book club book this month is Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.  I was set out not to like it because the woman who suggested it was just so into it.  It turned out to be better than I thought.  The imagery in it was magnificent.  I find myself wondering, though, how much of it is historically accurate and what part of it is a Western man's reading into what is the tradition of some Eastern women.  I guess I'll never know.
9. I also started reading (again) Debi Pearl's book, Created To Be His Help-Meet.  I wish I could be as positive as Debi Pearl about everything.  I'm sure my hubby would be a much happier man.
10. Once we got back home, I've been on a glut of Savannah Reid mysteries (G.A. Mc Kevett).  Yes, not very high-brow, but most of the books I read are escapes, not heavy thinking.  I especially like the ones that have a tie-in with food (no surprises there, mate).  I've got a collection of Diane Mott Davidson books (located on my cookbook shelf because they have such good recipes in them) and I'm working to collect Joanne Fluke books for the same reason.  Actually the recipes in the Fluke books are mostly cookies, so my family is rooting for those more than the Davidson books.  So anyway, I've now read every Savannah Reid mystery in our local library.  Anyone have any other mystery-foodie book recommendations?
11. I just finished Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger (of The Devil Wears Prada fame).  I liked this book better than Prada.  It's sweeter, which is an odd thing for a book of this genre (crazy young Manhattanites) to be.  But the whole lifestyle is still kinda crazed and bizarre for me.  When I was the age of the heroine in this book, I was married and was staying at home with our 2 babies.  It's a far cry from the Manhattan party scene.
12. Speaking of motherhood and Manhattan (we were, weren't we?), I'm reading What Do You Do All Day? by Amy Schiebe.  I thought it was going to be more about the oddity of being a SAHM in New York (and it is) but apparently our lives still don't have much in common.  I don't know what I was looking for, exactly, but it's just not as interesting as I thought it would be.
13. And that was a good segue into Alan Alda's autobiography, Never Have Your Dog Stuffed and Other Things I've Learned.  I grew up watching M*A*S*H religiously (yes, that's what kind of an upbringing I had) and I was looking forward to reading this one.  Eh, it was ok, but not stunning.  The most impressive thing I learned was that Alda has struggled with various things and has basically thought, thought, thought his way through them.  And he loves his wife.  And that's not such a bad thing but it doesn't make for a terribly interesting book.  Maybe I'm just jaded but that's how I felt about it.

And so, there you have it!  Thursday Thirteen and a book review, all in one day.  I just give and give.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

1.  Jen (thanks!); 2.  Leanne ; 3.  Renee ; 4. Colleen ; 5.  Lori ; 6.  Jennifer ; 7.  Jennifer ; 8.  Nancy ; 9.  Uisce ;  10. TexasIvy ; 11. Karen ; 12.  Stacie ; 13.  SquashedToad