Saturday 29 June 2013

Cranky Book Review: Silver Wedding by Maeve Binchy

Actually, this is a Cranky Book Review of any and all Maeve Binchy books. 

The first one I ever read (for she is quite prolific as a writer) was The Copper Beech.  I think I was still in high school, and my sister gave it to me, hardcover, as a birthday or Christmas gift.  I read it, I liked it, and I may have read a few more over the years... maybe Circle of Friends?  I really can't remember.  And I moved on.

High school, however, is a few years ago (kaff).  Just before Tamsin's arrival, I scored a bag of books from my friend Andrea, as she was decluttering before her move to Vancouver.  There were a few Marian Keyes (of Sushi for Beginners fame, which I read and loved), and a few Maeve Binchy, among others.

Those books seem to make up most of my "currently reading" list (look to the right) from December to present. 

I picked up Silver Wedding on Wednesday afternoon, in -- coincidentally -- a bag of books that my mom was passing on.  I started reading it yesterday, Thursday afternoon, at 1:20, while waiting for a bus* to take Tamsin and I downtown for a retirement party.**

Let me be clear:  this Cranky Book Reviewer is cranky only because anything, everything else annoys me when I'm reading these books. Like babies who want to be fed. Buses that come. Retirement parties at which it would be rude to sit in a corner and read...with a baby who wants to be fed, no less.  I'm also cranky because I started reading at 1:20 pm, went to a party, fed and bathed my children, put them to bed at 7:45, and finished the book -- and I'm not exaggerating in the slightest, here -- at 12:37 last night. 

I'm tired. 

My eyes hurt.***

Totally worth it.****




* Aside:  the 12 is the worst bus ever, for schedule, timeliness, and, dare I say it, clientele.  But one must do what one must do, if one does not want to walk for 25 minutes in 33-degree weather and heels, pushing a baby carriage.

** No, not for Tamsin, silly.  She has to put a few more years in as an unpaid child labourer first.
 
*** Mostly because I read most of it on my new, comfy deck couch, in the dark, with fairy lights as my reading lamp.  I love my deck couch.  

****Wait, you want to know why it's so good?  It just is.  Pick it up.  Also, get Up the Garden Path by Sue Limb.  Excellent.

Saturday 15 June 2013

Is it summer yet?

With the ups and downs in the weather, we've done our best to be outside and exploring as much as possible.  I had an awesomely productive day last week that involved Canadian Tire, my garden, the gym, coffee with a friend, and quality T-time (where the T is for Tamsin, of course), but mostly, there's a lot of rushing and bustling and trying to clean up from one meal or snack in time to have the next meal or snack and still actually interact with the kidlets.

And that, your honour, is why my blog is woefully behind.

So, in no particular order, I give you:


Soccer!  There's a bit of a time lapse, as the action is too far away to identify anyone, but at about 14 seconds, you can see Vaughn break from the pack with a clear lead.  He definitely has the fitness and skill, but lacks the ... um.. um... what?  Oh, right.  Focus.  That's it.
But I think we can all agree that I have all the makings of a fine soccer mom. 




CF Family Day:  we had pony rides!  Petting zoo!  Bouncy castles!  Fire trucks!  Snowbirds!  Free ice cream!
But the high point of the day was getting to shoot a storm trooper.  Sigh.  The guy in the orange flight suit was eerily perfect as that guy who gets shot down on the way to the Death Star.




This is Susie.*  We found her in our window well, not nearly feathery enough to fly out, so we scooped her up and put her in the shade, under her family's nest.  Tamsin was gracious enough to share some formula and rice cereal. 
Susie managed to hop/flap her way out, and took up residence behind our composter for about a week, where her mom and dad kept watch and fed her, until she could take wing.**  What good parents!



Druncle Ryan came to visit!  We were all so happy to have him around to distract the kids and entertain the Fis.  Of course, we waited for the rainiest day to go check out the Peace Tower. 
Super-cool outing, by the way.  I think I was the most excited person there.  The observation deck is directly below the clock faces, so you can look right up at them -- it's very Back to the Future.  Also, the elevator doesn't go straight up and down -- it goes up at an angle!!!  How cool is that?


And Tamsin continues to delight and amaze (with her delightfulness, of course).  Many things are awesome.
Like lunch.




* According to Ailsa, all creatures, dolls, animals, etc. are named "Susie".  They just are.

**  I hope.  The daily "pile-o-feathers" patrol hasn't turned up anything to the contrary, at least.

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