Irony?

Today as I stood outside in blizzard-like conditions, putting kindergartners in their cars, I yelled at the sky "I am the president of hating winter!"

With that said, here is today's bucket list item:

I want to go on an Antarctic cruise. I know.

Have you ever heard of Sir Ernest Shackelton? He was a British explorer who wanted to lead an overland expedition across the Antarctic continent. On the way, his ship got frozen in the ice, which was subsequently crushed, and he and 27 other men spent two years surviving. Oh, and World War I had broken out, so they were completely forgotten by everyone in the "civilized" world. No Gortex. No G.P.S. Just their wits and the pure will to survive. After eating nothing but penguins and sea lions for two years, they finally made it to Elephant Island, a lifeless rock off the northern peninsula of the frozen continent. Shackelton then made an important decision. He rested for one night, took four other men, hopped into a 23-foot lifeboat and headed for South America. Without taking anything away from the harrowing ending, I will simply say it involved a hurricane, removing the nails from the lifeboat and hammering them into the bottoms of their shoes, and forming a human chain to make a slippery slide down an icy slope.

Endurance, the name of the ship, is also the name of the book recounting this amazing story of the human will to survive. To endure. It is one of the best books I have ever read. Should you feel so inclined, be sure to pick up the copy that includes the photographs.

Granted, my visit will be on a luxurious and warm cruise ship that includes good food, a soft bed, and yes... Gortex.

Problem?

So I wander out of the abyss that is my laundry room this afternoon, and stumbled upon this scene:I really, really love the fact that my kids are bookworms. Their reading appetites are voracious, to say the least. The tween keeps me well-informed of any upcoming release dates for new books. The seven-year-old won't even let family prayer time interrupt his reading. "Hold on! Just let me finish this page!" He and my husband have started an early-morning ritual of snuggling together in the recliner, each with their own books.

But I realized this weekend that it's becoming a problem. Their dad and I were trying to out do each other at Wii golf while the kids' noses were buried in books. Is there something wrong with that? Is it wrong that my son turned down an offer of playing Catch with his dad because he was "too busy reading?" They later negotiated a deal. Is it weird not to see my daughter for hours on end because she's locked up in her room, lost in the pages of Fablehaven? Is it weird that she just checked out the DVD movie "The Hound of the Baskervilles" because she read the book last week? She watches it with a blanket pulled up to the bottoms of her glasses just in case something scary should rear itself. SHE ALREADY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENS!

I guess it's a good problem to have, but the least they could do is give out a little cheer when I birdie the fourth hole on Wii golf.

Done!

Yes, I finished the book. And now I get to do my first book review for you! This is very official, of course. And I'm not saying nice things just because Becca is my friend. I'm saying nice things because My Ridiculous Romantic Obsessions is a good book!

Sarah has a thing for two things: romance novels (the kind with women pouring out of their dresses) and nice guys (the kind who are hot). A college freshman, she soon meets Ben, a really hot, really nice guy. She can't figure out why someone like him would want to hang out with someone like her. Having been burned before, Sarah has to decide if Ben is the real deal or just another villain from a romance novel.

I guess you'll have to read it for yourself if you want to find out...

By the way, Becca has written another book, entitled Bright Blue Miracle (another fabulous read). If you want to know more about her, check her out here: www.beccawilhite.com

Do You Know What This Is?

This is an image of the newest book written by my brilliant friend, Becca Wilhite. I just picked up my copy today and I am so excited to read it! If you're smart, and you enjoy really good books, I mean REALLY GOOD books, go and get your copy today. Right now! You won't be sorry.

Something

I've been thinking all day about what I could possibly post to the blog tonight.

Nothing.

And then.

Reading, in the bathtub of course, something beautiful (from The Book Thief):

"She was the book thief without the words. Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like the rain."

I'm Not Sick... Really.

As you may know, I have aspirations of being a published children's author. Well, right now I'm vomiting a book. I use that phrase because the words are gushing out of me; they're ugly, and they stink. I know they won't always be that way. But right now, every time I sit down to type, the words flow and flow. I've never experienced this before. It's weird. But I like it.

I'm not going to tell you what it's about just yet. But I will tell you that I already have a character who's doing things I don't want him to do. And he's not a kid.

Is the suspense killing you as much as it's killing me?