auld lang syne

Main Entry: auld lang syne
Pronunciation: “Ol(d)-“(l)a[ng]-‘zIn, “ol(d)-
Function: noun
Etymology: Scots, literally, old long ago
: the good old times

Quiz Time!
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Bounder burned down his dog house while we were all in Baltimore!

Luckily, no dogs were harmed in the process, and now my dad has to buy Bounder a new dog house.

Bad dog!

The Thief’s Gamble (1999) Juliet E. McKenna

In the past, I have refused to pick up a series unless I can get all the books in that series. Because there’s little worse than starting a series and then not being about to find the rest of it. However, because I can now order books on-line, and have them delivered to my door at little or no additional cost, I realized that I can start taking a chance on a single book, with the knowledge that I can order the rest of the series even if I can’t find the books locally. So, I picked up The Thief’s Gamble because it looked interesting (and also because the series is completed).

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Sorcery & Cecelia -OR- The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (1988) Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer

After putting down a book that looked promising but I found only annoying after the first several chapters, I picked up Sorcery & Cecelia, which I’d put on my wish list because I thought it looked interesting. I thought that I’d just read a couple of chapters before going to sleep, however at midnight I found myself thinking, “just one more chapter and then I’ll go to sleep” until I’d read half the book.

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Yesterday, as was traditional, we played Oh Hell.

This was the bidding for the three hand.
Me: Okay, bids?
Mom: One
Dad: Two
Me: One. That’s four to you Michael, you can’t bid negative one.
Michael: Cool. I bid zero.
Dad: Wait! I didn’t bid!
Me: Yeah you did, you bid two.
Mom: Yes, you bid two, I heard you.
Dad: No! No! That wasn’t my bid! That was ‘One, two, buckle my shoe!’

Merry Christmas!

Happy Hanukkah!

And Happy whatever else you may or may not be celebrating today!

Love,
Michelle

Preacher Vol 1 Gone to Texas (1996) Garth Ennis

First, a disclaimer. I’m squeamish. In fact, I will walk out of the room during particularly violent scenes in movies, and haven’t watched a horror movie since I was in high school. (Why? Because graphic violence gives me really unpleasant dreams.) Thing is, it all depends upon how the violence is presented as to whether it bothers me or not. Although I had to turn away a couple times, I didn’t really have a lot of problems with Snatch. Sin City bothered me quite a bit. For the end of The Last Samurai and Braveheart I just got up and left the room. Fight Club bothered me in places, but I still liked it. So it’s hard to tell what is going to bother me, and what isn’t.

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Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled, all snug in their beds.
While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.
And Ma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter!
Away to the window, I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutter and threw up the sash!

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Gave a luster of mid-day to objects below.
When what to my wandering eyes should appear
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment, it must be St. Nick!

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name:
“Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On Comet! On Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now, dash away, dash away! Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the housetop, the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too!

And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound!

He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot!
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry.
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was a white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in this teeth.
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump — A right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod — Up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight:
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

It’s Christmas Eve and I’ve had the entire week off from work. What have I been doing?

Baking.

Specifically:
Peanut butter kisses
M&M cookies
Rugelach
Thumbprints
Iced sugar cookies
Pumpkin spice cookies
Lemon wafers
Harvest Bars
Peanut butter fudge bars
Cranberry bars

Yum!

Wizard’s First Rule (1994) Terry Goodkind

Michael has been reading Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series for several years now, and has mentioned repeatedly that he thought I should read it. So, with two weeks off from work, I decided I’d read the first book, just to see.

It’s good, and it’s interesting, but I definitely did not like it as much as Michael did.

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Happy Winter!

Just got back from seeing The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was good, although I did have a few nits to pick. First, I realize the movie was only PG, but not only was there no blood, but Peter’s sword remained shiny throughout the entire battle sequences. That was just entirely too clean. They could have made it at least dirty looking. Second, I thought the fight between Peter and the White Witch was beyond belief. Tilda Swinton as the White Witch was gorgeous in her handling of her swords, while, for good and obvious reasons, Peter came across as little more fumbling. She should have cut him to ribbons. My disbelief was having trouble being suspended there.

But other than that, we really enjoyed it. It was fun. Lots of sword bashing. Very low gruesome factor. See it in the theater, only try to avoid seeing it with toddlers, like we had the misfortune to do.

Sorry, but I don’t think three year olds belong at a PG movie.