I’m Beautiful Like Me.

The Big Read is an NEA program designed to encourage community reading initiatives and of their top 100 books, they estimate the average adult has read only six. According to another blogger, they encourage us to:

*Look at the list and bold those we have read.
*Italicize those we intend to read.
*Underline the books we LOVE

Share this list in your blog, too, if you like.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Seventeen?! That’s it!?! Well damn. I have listed 8 that I intend to read and only 2 that I love. I am kinda upset at this list now. I read! I read a lot! Okay, well, I don’t read as much as I would like these days - it’s hard for me to focus when I’m constantly interrupted by a curious, grabby toddler, so I have put off reading anything deemed intelligent by these NEA folk.

For now, I’m content to listen here and there to stories on the iPod, courtesy of Librivox. Right now, it’s Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I’m also enjoying some great how-to knitting books and a number of blogs via Google Reader. So take that, NEA jerks!

Husband has been focusing a lot on school work. He’s overwhelmed by Statistics. We went ahead an ordered him a book because reading from the screen just isn’t the same and it would have been more costly to print the entire thing out.

I have been plurking a lot. Damn thing is addictive! I insist that - if you haven’t yet joined - you do so at once! And be my friend! I’ve broadened my network of knitting acquaintances and am hopeful to learn something from them. If nothing else, I know that they will appreciate my learning process.

Yesterday, Buddha and I went to the library. I picked up a number of knitting books, including Debbie Stoller’s, which I have already read in it’s entirety. She is just so well-written and easy to read. The boy picked himself out some books, too, including one about baby signs. I’m pleased that I already know most of those signs!

After Buddha went to bed, (which, by the way, has been going much better with Husband home at night) I practiced some different stitches and learned how to increase a couple of different ways. I wanted to keep going, but the boy refused to be cooperative last night and stay asleep, so I called it a night around 1:30am.

I picked up a skein of wool-blend sock yarn a few days before Husband lost his job and I’m very eager to get to that place where I can use it to make a pair of socks. However, I admit I’m a bit intimidated. I’ll keep working my way up to it, though.

And the crochet breakfast project has just went into hibernation. Turns out the yarn I had for toast and bacon is all wrong. I did finish the fried egg, though. It’s really cute and I can’t wait until I can finish the rest of breakfast.

In the meantime, I think I will continue to work on some new amigurumi projects. I’ve got some things in mind, but until I can grow my yarn stash some more, I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to actually do. Yarn is so addictive. A very expensive hobby. Sigh. Just browsing online sites gives me yarn lust! I’ve also got to finish the Circle to Squares project for my mom. I’ve got about half of it sewn together. Once the whole thing is sewn, I’ve got to get a border on there. The local knitters were disappointed I didn’t bring it last week, so I’d like to bring it this week to show off!

Yesterday, Husband accompanied me to the library where I got some more crochet books, renewed a couple of books and got two books on hand-spinning. I’m really interested in learning. It sounds like a GOB of work, but it sounds so rewarding, especially when I consider how much money I might save on yarn.

Afterwards, I accompanied him to the downtown Fiscal Building so he could apply for his CCDW. He was frazzled that we wouldn’t get there on time, especially considering I was 100% certain of where we were going. However, I have mad navigation skillz and even better parallel parking skillz. I even managed to find a parking meter with 2 hours left on it! We got there with more than 10 minutes to spare and the entire ordeal took maybe 5 minutes.

Then we drove into the Highlands, so I could seek out a coffee shop where some locals get together on Tuesdays for knitting/crocheting. Problem was that I mistakenly thought I was searching for a yarn store. D’oh! Here I thought there were 2 businesses in town with the same name. I had read earlier this week that the coffee shop was closing. I never made the connection that it was the same place. So, I’m not as savvy as I thought.

In any case, one of those lovely locals and I have exchanged a few messages on Ravelry and I read her blog religiously. I sent her a message and she invited me to the group on Ravelry, so I could be in the know of where they’d be getting together on Tuesday.

Then we drove by a house we’ve found online that we really like. It’s HUGE - almost 3,000 sq. ft., three floors, 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, big front and back porches for a killer price. The only drawback is the location. I’m not fond of the location at all for a place to raise our kids. I’m going to hafta do some additional research on the area - the school(s) the kids would attend, the crime rate, etc. if we were to ever seriously consider it.

We stopped at Aldi on our way home. Husband has never been there. They are a lot like Sav-A-Lot, but they have some great deals and sometimes some good imports. I spent a small fortune on imported chocolate.

I had hoped Husband and I would be able to go to KT’s for dinner last night. It’s my most favorite restaurant of all. Great food, good service, excellent ambiance, and a fair price. We’ve been a handful of times since moving back to the ‘Ville, but I can never get enough. I wanted to wait until later in the evening, so we could enjoy our meal on the outdoor patio. Later came and Husband didn’t want to go anymore. Instead, I lied down with the baby and dozed a long while. When I woke up, I had a need for ice cream. It was about 10pm. Husband and I packed up Buddha and T joined us to the Dairy Queen. We ate way too much. I had a hot fudge waffle bowl sundae that was pure heaven. The boy surprised me by rejecting several bites from his dad’s ice cream. He ended up staying up until 1am, too.

This morning, I woke up too early (see previous post). By the time I was ready to crawl back into bed, the boy was awake. He wakes up with the sweetest demeanor. I was here at the computer, tinkering with my new Ravelry widget and I heard him call for me: “Daddy!” I poked my head around the corner and was greeted by a big smile. He reached for me immediately. I laughed and told him I prefer to be called “Mama.” We played for a bit, but since about an hour after waking, he’s been a total grouch. Very whiny. Sigh.

Tonight, Husband started making dinner - a London Broil on the grill. I jumped in the shower while T watched the boy. Husband busted into the bathroom: “I ran outta gas! Making a run to the store!” After my brief shower, I ran out to the grill to snap a picture of the delicious-looking and -smelling hunk of meat.

After it was sliced up on the cutting board.

I stole bites as I prepared small pieces for the boy.
Husband’s plate. Yummy!
Dinner was delicious! Husband is a very good grill master. He’s made steaks on the stove a half dozen times or so and the results were always “meh.” I finally suggested he get out the grill about a month or two ago. That night, after dinner I told him he was never allowed to cook steak in the house again! T whined that the meat was too pink for her liking once or twice before, so this time Husband cooked hers a bit longer. I used to like my steak well, too, but nowadays it tastes like the bottom of a shoe when it’s cooked that long. I prefer it more medium, thank you very much.

Tonight I hope to get some or all of my squares sewn together. Once that’s complete, I still need to add a border before it’s totally done. I’m getting close. I had really hoped to visit a local yarn store called The Knit Nook today to get some yarn for my next project - a blanket for my mother-in-law (MIL). I still haven’t found a pattern that I like for her, but I’m excited because MIL’s favorite colors are my favorites, too. Maybe I can get over there tomorrow. Wait, are they open tomorrow? Ooh, I hope so. Husband has some schoolwork to get to while he’s still got plenty of time to focus on it, but we might catch a movie together tonight, too.

I’ve been neglecting my reading. I started Restaurant at the End of the Universe months ago and never finished it. Hell, I never got far. I’m too consumed with the numerous crocheting books, 200 Crochet Blocks and Stitch ‘n Bitch. I did pick up Storm Front, the first in the Dresden Files series, upon recommendation from P’s husband. I’ve read like 4 pages. Hopefully, I can carve out more time for reading soon.

The next morning he went to his appointment and they gave him more meds, told him to rest and he’d be okay to go back to work on Wednesday. He spent the better part of his days off in bed atop a heating pad, sleeping. I had to wake him this afternoon at 4:15pm to get ready for work. On his lunch, he called as usual and said he was going to come home, that his back was still hurting pretty badly. I can only imagine, as his job is very physically strenuous. On an unhappy note, the meds he’s taking make him rather cranky while he’s awake. Hopefully when he sees the company doctor again tomorrow, they will give him some good news or some better meds.

I have been working on a supersecret crochet project, but once the surprise is out, I will share those details.

The girl is out of school and did very well. She will be a fourth grader this fall. I’ve gotten her involved in a couple of summer reading programs. We went to the library and she showed ambition by checking out dozens of books. She’s almost finished her first one. We are likely not going to be able to send her to the in-laws for the summer. I’m hesitant to let her dad’s family take her, though I likely will. Sigh.

Buddha is becoming a real challenge. He is growing so fast and curious about everything. He keeps me on my toes all.day.long! He’s starting to learn new words, which is exciting and fun. He says “rock” and “cup” about the right things. It’s pretty cool watching those connections.

One morning earlier this week, I woke up before Buddha. I made myself a couple of sausage biscuits and an extra piece of sausage for him, because he loves it so. I left it on the kitchen counter on a paper plate. He got up an hour or so later and eventually went to the counter and pulled the plate down. I found him on the kitchen floor eating the sausage, just like this.

On Monday, Husband and I met with a fellow from our bank to see about pre-qualifying for a first-time home loan. We’ve been working on fixing our credit and Husband’s income has increased since we last inquired a year ago, so we were hopeful. Unfortunately, some of the debt I’ve since reconciled did not come off of my report, so I have requested letters from respective companies stating that debts were reconciled.

A new debt showed up on the report. An outstanding medical debt from the girl from 2004 for almost $800. I was forced to call xSO’s mom to ask for some help with that. I am afraid it is going to stand between us and our first home. Made me rather nauseated yesterday, as I traced the debt back to it’s origin. I was under the impression that it was from some lab work I received back in November because the credit report shows it originating 11/2007. Really ridiculous, the hoops I jumped through to find out what the fuck was going on. By the end of the day, I had a stomachache and a migraine.

Anyhow, guy from the bank said he wanted to wait until Husband had at least a year on the job (which he will be on Aug 5) before proceeding. In that time, I should be able to get together letters of debt reconciliation (’cept for the one for the medical bill) and write to the 3 credit reporting agencies, requesting that they review the accounts and reevaluate my credit score. I remain hopeful.

We had hoped to be able to move over the summer. Since that was our original plan, I decided it might be best for the girl to stay here for the summer and be a part of all that. Last summer she was gone during our move here and she felt disconnected and excluded from things. I didn’t want a repeat of that. However, since we are going to hang in here until at least August, I decided to talk to xSO’s mom about girl visiting there for the summer. I’m extremely reluctant because we’ve made so much progress since the last incident in FL with xSO. The girl is ready to talk to the psych about discontinuing meds on the 16th. I gave xSO’s mom some conditions and she was willing to promise adhering to them. Still, I’m hesitant. I agreed to the visit, but I swear to God on my very soul that if they fuck up again, it will be a cold day in Hell before she is allowed to visit there again.

We did take the kids bowling again and I’ve been taking trips to the nearby park with P and her girls. Here are some pics.